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Pyrex With Bex

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Rating
★★★★☆
3.5
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2 reviews
This podcast has
29 episodes
Language
English
Publisher
Bex Scott
Explicit
No
Date created
2023/06/02
Latest episode
2025/05/02
Average duration
26 min.
Release period
29 days

Description

Discussion about vintage pyrex and other vintage home items as well as interviews with collectors to chat about their stories.

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Mid-Century Modern Show and Sale
2025/05/02
In this final episode of Season 2, Bex shares her experience as a vendor at her first-ever in-person vintage market, the Mid-Century Modern Show and Sale in Calgary, Alberta. Bex describes how nervous she was beforehand and how much preparation goes into a market booth, from sorting inventory to pricing all items for sale. From setting up her booth, friendly fellow vendors, curious customers, and all the things she learned that she didn’t know she didn’t know, this episode is a walk-through of Bex’s first vendor experience. And it was a good one. One of the first things Bex learned was to get in fast and early to allow enough time to think about the display, sort and pack inventory, and price everything. She didn’t sign up until a month prior to the show, so she welcomed a friend’s help in preparing. Setting up her booth the night before gave her a crash course in clever and creative booth design. Her takeaway was to think vertically and invest in shelves for her next show. Bex relays how neighbor vendors helped ease her nerves, stories of customer encounters, the Pyrex colors people seemed most interested in, and why it was such a great experience for her that she wishes she’d done it earlier. If you missed Bex at this market, she has three more coming up throughout the summer. Thank you for joining Season 2 of Pyrex With Bex. Season 3 is coming soon, and she hopes you’ll be with her for those episodes as well.  — Contact Rebecca Scott | Pyrex With Bex:  Website: PyrexWithBex.comInstagram: @pyrexwithbexWhatnot: PyrexWithBex— Transcript Bex Scott: [00:00:02] Hey everybody, it's Bex Scott and welcome to the Pyrex with Bex podcast, where you guessed it, I talk about vintage Pyrex, but also all things vintage housewares. I'll take you on my latest thrifting adventures, talk about reselling, chat with other enthusiasts about their collections, and learn about a bunch of really awesome items from the past. Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you love listening to podcasts so you don't miss a beat. Hey everybody, this is Bex Scott and you are listening to the Pyrex with Bex podcast. As promised, this is the episode to end season two, where I'm going to talk to you about my experience at the Mid-Century Modern Show and Sale. It happened April 12th in Calgary and it was the most amazing vintage market I have ever been to. This was my very first experience being a vendor at a market for vintage and I have to say, it was incredible. I wish that I had had the courage to do this before, with this hobby and the side business that I have selling vintage, but that was a lesson that I learned that I love doing markets. They are very stressful and a lot of work, but I think as you do more, it will probably get easier. So this one was in Calgary at the Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Center, and I signed up probably just over a month before it happened, so I didn't have a ton of time to prepare. It might seem like a lot of time, but one of the things I learned is you need to get in there fast, early, so that you have time to think about your display, pack all of your inventory, sort, price everything.   Bex Scott: [00:01:50] So I think I started pricing about three weeks or four weeks, let's say four weeks before, and I had a lot of inventory. I went through all of my boxes in my basement. There were probably 30 banker's boxes of vintage items. And knowing that this was mid-century modern, a lot of it was the higher end collectible items. Definitely not garage sale items. I'm used to holding garage sales, doing that, this was not that kind of a crowd. So I started going through all of my boxes, and it probably took me about three weeks to sift through everything, decide what I was going to take there, wrap it all up nicely, put what was on or inside each of the boxes on labels. And that was for the non Pyrex items. So that I felt was a little bit easier to do. The tricky part came with sorting my Pyrex and pricing it and going through everything that I had. And I have to say, I didn't know that I was hiding so much of it in my basement. Luckily, my amazing friend Amanda came over and she helped me kind of push through my anxiety and keep me going that day, pricing everything. It took us about 3.5 hours to go through all the Pyrex, and I had a bunch of full sets, a bunch of just random casseroles and bowls, and we sat there and put everything into the set.   Bex Scott: [00:03:24] We priced everything. We did it by color. So I had a little sheet that I printed out that said, purple is this price, blue is this price, yellow is this price. One of my main takeaways? Make sure your stickers aren't too sticky. These were the stickiest stickers I have ever experienced in my life, and this is a public service announcement to anybody who bought my Pyrex at that market. I apologize for the amount of Goo Gone or soaking you guys are going to have to do. Please know I put the stickers on the inside of the bowls so that none of the pattern would be affected, and that you could just soak the bowl in the sink. I hope. So, that was my number one learning. Get better stickers. After we put all of the stickers and prices on the Pyrex, I did smarten up and I got tiny little stickers that were a lot easier to remove. So apologies to everybody if you're out there in the world picking my stickers off. Anyway, so we got all of the Pyrex packed up, labeled, and then about maybe 3 or 4 days before I had my son help me load our big Excursion. So it was floor to ceiling packed with everything.   Bex Scott: [00:04:44] And this might seem silly, but I was convinced that I wouldn't have enough inventory. I had booked a ten by ten booth, had no idea how big that is because spatially I'm unable to figure out how big that is in my head. That was three tables and two chairs, and I just have to say that I had more than enough, which is kind of embarrassing because maybe next year I might need two booths. But I packed up the Excursion and I live in Innisfail, which is about an hour away from Calgary, so I had to make sure that everything was ready to go because I couldn't come back home to get anything. And the sale is only one day. So I ended up staying in Calgary with my parents. Everything was packed up, ready to go, and then at the last minute, I decided that I needed to make a sign and postcards for myself. Why I decided to do this like three days before, I don't understand, but I think I was procrastinating because I was nervous. So I designed these postcards to promote the podcast and my Instagram. If you're not following me on Instagram, it's at Pyrex with Bex, and I got them all ordered. I didn't factor in having to pick them up in Calgary and I wasn't there. So this is the first time I've ever used Uber as a courier. Let me tell you, it works. It's a little bit over the top.   Bex Scott: [00:06:11] It's expensive, but I didn't plan ahead, so that's my fault. And I was punished with the courier expense of having to pick up my signage for the show. But it's really cool if you guys ever need a courier, you just go on to the Uber website and you can book somebody to go into the shop, pick it up for you, and deliver it for you. So it worked really well. Luckily, I had my signage and my postcards for the show. So we get to the night before and they graciously let us set up for two hours and I get there, my parents, they went with me to help me unpack everything, and I was a nervous wreck. Like everybody there had obviously done this before. They all knew each other. Some people I went in and they were already set up. I think I was there like half an hour after the time that you were allowed to set everything up and they were already done. They were good. I was in awe. So I think it took us a good 20 minutes to even figure out how to set the tables up properly, so that people could walk into the booth and see everything. But we were there from about maybe 20 after 8 to 830 at night until 10:00, and got a good chunk of it, set up everything out. I had already done all the price tags, which was amazing. But looking around at all of these vendor booths, they know exactly what they're doing.   Bex Scott: [00:07:37] They have amazing vintage shelves. That's another takeaway that I came away with, is that you need height. You need to go vertical with your displays. You can't just have it flat on a table. So for my markets going forward, or if anybody is going to be doing a market, make sure that you invest in some nice wooden shelves. You could even bring furniture to stack things on. It just makes your booth that much more beautiful and easy for people to go through. And it also adds another layer so that you can add more in. So that was my main downfall, I would say. I ran out of space and Pyrex takes up a lot of room. So if you are selling items that are larger, having a bookshelf, furniture, something to go vertically, is a must. But these vendors had beautiful booths. They were set up like they were in an antique mall. They had furniture. They had shelves. They had, there was one booth that had flat boards set up with pegs, and they had dozens of mugs on them where people could just come look at them, pick a mug off the wall. It was brilliant. There's one booth that was set up like a dining room. It was amazing. The vendors sat at the dining room table and you could go in and just look around at all the things on the perimeter of their booth, around the table.   Bex Scott: [00:08:57] Other people had great signage. I was really impressed. So I took a lot away in that sense about what to do, what not to do. My booth was stuffed with things, but overall it worked out. So the night before, we're setting everything up and I have to say, the other vendors are so nice. You can tell that they've really built a community around doing these markets, and a lot of them sell, they're vendors at Ella Grace and other vintage malls and mark
My first Ever In-Person Show & Sale - Coming Soon!
2025/04/11
Bex Scott announces her first-ever in-person show & sale, coming up on April 12th. The end of Season 2 of the Pyrex With Bex podcast is nearing, and her final episode will be a recap of her experiences at the Show & Sale. Come out and meet Bex, buy Pyrex, ask to be on the podcast, or just generally enjoy the vibe at the Mid-Century Modern Show and Sale in Calgary on April 12th, 2025, from 10 to 4 at the Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Association. Admission is $3, and kids are free. Bex is thrilled to have had you all join her in Season 2 of the podcast, and the in-person show & sale is the perfect way to cap off a great season. If you can, come meet Bex in person, and discuss Pyrex face to face. Mid Century Modern Show & Sale information __ Contact Rebecca Scott | Pyrex With Bex:  Website: PyrexWithBex.comInstagram: @pyrexwithbex— Transcript Bex Scott: [00:00:02] Hey, everybody, this is Bex Scott. And I can't believe that in just a couple of weeks, we will be at the end of Season Two of the Pyrex With Bex podcast. Thank you so much, everybody, for listening. And in a couple of weeks, with that last episode, I will have a bit of a special feature as I will be in the Mid-Century Modern Show and Sale in Calgary on April 12th, 2025, from 10 to 4 at the Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Association. Admission is $ 3, and kids are free. I will be selling a whole bunch of my Pyrex, complete sets, bowls, promotional pieces, and I hope you can come down, buy some Pyrex and chat with me. And if you'd like to be on the podcast, feel free to let me know, and we can set up an interview. But I hope that I'll be able to see all of you guys there. And my last episode of the season will be a recap of the show, where I will go through maybe some of the exciting items that I was able to buy and find there, some of the awesome collectors I met, and just my experience at my very first in-person show and sale. So I hope to see you all there. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Vintage Costume Jewelry with Lulu
2025/03/28
Bex Scott welcomes guest Lulu from Lulu J Vintage, a vintage costume jewelry collector and seller, to the show to teach her all about the joys of vintage costume jewelry. Lulu started collecting when she was sixteen years old and worked at the Carol Tanenbaum Vintage Jewelry Collection through high school and university. She learned from amazing mentors about the history of jewelry and developed her own collection before starting to sell on Instagram last year. Bex finds out what jewelry Lulu loves best, her philosophy on collecting, and tips for testing authenticity.  Lulu describes herself as a “very passionate collector” and her love of vintage costume jewelry shines through in her conversation with Bex. She describes some of her favorite vintage pieces and why she prefers certain styles over others. Though she says she’s not a fashion historian, Lulu teaches Bex quite a lot about the history of costume jewelry and styles through the years. Bex learns about the current brooch resurgence, French designer Léa Stein, how to locate the lost mate of her solo Sherman earring, and how to test for true Bakelite. Lulu stresses that collecting should be about what someone loves, and what they’re passionate about, not simply focused on what will sell or what’s valuable. Join Bex and Lulu for a deep dive into vintage costume jewelry. Resources discussed in this episode: “Vintage Jewellery: Collecting and Wearing Designer Classics” by Caroline CoxKenneth J Lane vintageAvon rose broochCaroline Tanenbaum Vintage CollectionLéa Stein“Sherman Jewelry History” on VintageJewelryGirl.com“6 Ways to Identify Bakelite” by Pamela Wiggins on TheSpruceCrafts.comJoyce’s ClosetBEX VintageMr. Mansfield Vintage— Contact Lulu | Lulu J Vintage Instagram: @lulujvintageContact Rebecca Scott | Pyrex With Bex:  Website: PyrexWithBex.comInstagram: @pyrexwithbex— Transcript Bex Scott: [00:00:02] Hey everybody, it's Bex Scott and welcome to the Pyrex with Bex podcast where you guessed it, I talk about vintage Pyrex, but also all things vintage housewares. I'll take you on my latest thrifting adventures, talk about reselling, chat with other enthusiasts about their collections, and learn about a bunch of really awesome items from the past. Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you love listening to podcasts so you don't miss a beat. Hey everybody, this is Bex Scott and you are listening to the Pyrex with Bex podcast. And today I am very excited to introduce to you Lulu of Lulu J vintage on Instagram. Welcome, Lulu.   Lulu: [00:00:43] Thanks so much for having me Bex.   Bex Scott: [00:00:44] Thanks for being here. So I found you through Instagram and I instantly fell in love with all of your education on vintage costume jewelry and your amazing reels. And every time you post, I want to buy all of the jewelry that you show. So I wanted to make sure I could get you on the podcast to educate my listeners on all of the amazing jewelry. I love jewelry, I have a massive collection of just random things from over the years. I don't wear a lot of it, but I have this thing where I need to buy it and just keep it in a jewelry box and then look at it. So I'm excited to learn from you today as well.   Lulu: [00:01:27] I think that's how all collecting starts. You start with coins or jewelry or just things that you love, and it starts to turn in, even your beautiful books behind you and your collection.   Bex Scott: [00:01:40] Yeah, it's funny how you don't realize that you're starting a collection. And then you look at everything around you, and you have about 40 more collections than you thought you did. So can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got into the world of vintage costume jewelry?   Lulu: [00:01:59] Absolutely. And so I am a very passionate collector of vintage costume jewelry. I've been collecting since I was 16 years old. I worked at the Carol Tannenbaum Vintage Jewelry Collection throughout high school and university, and that was the place I just fell in love with it. I was immersed in jewelry. I learned so much from amazing mentors and learned a lot about the history, and slowly just started to build my collection over time. I began selling just on Instagram last year as really a creative outlet from my full-time job and a way to get back into this industry and to meet like-minded people.   Bex Scott: [00:02:46] That's awesome. What is it about vintage costume jewelry that fascinates you the most?   Lulu: [00:02:51] That's a great question. I mean, I think I've always been a jewelry girl. I loved playing dress up as a kid. Go through my nana's jewelry box? Yeah, just, I've always loved fashion. There was a period through, I guess, my teens where I thought I wanted to be a fashion designer or a jewelry designer, and working at Carol's Collection, it was really that place that started my interest in costume jewelry and becoming really fascinated with it. And it was just, it's more accessible than collecting, I'd say clothing because you can keep it in a jewelry box. You don't need to have a big closet. And yeah, that's where it started.   Bex Scott: [00:03:31] And you can have multiple jewelry boxes and still hide them away. You can't have multiple closets as easily.   Lulu: [00:03:39] No. It's true. We live in a small apartment, and my personal collection jewelry box keeps growing because it's one of those ones that stacks on top of each other. And then the pieces to sell, I have an Ikea unit and we keep it in our little more like a storage room den. And I think my fiance is very happy that it's just jewelry and not racks of clothes.   Bex Scott: [00:04:09] I love that. I can relate to you mentioning going through your grandma's jewelry, because that's what I used to do with my granny when I was little. We'd go to her house and the first thing I do is run up to her bedroom and start undoing all of her clothes and her jewelry and going through her drawers. So, I don't do that anymore, because that would be strange. But that kind of started me with my tiny jewelry collection. Most of what I have is from her, passed down, and she always says she has a few more pieces that she needs to give me as well. So it's nice. Mhm. And have you come across any interesting or surprising stories behind some of the pieces that you have?   Lulu: [00:04:55] Yeah, absolutely. I think in my personal collection, a lot of the pieces I have are of sentimental value or just pieces that I absolutely love. And I just would not want to sell. But I actually recently found a piece that I just sold that looked very 50s in the style, and the woman I bought it from thought it was from the 50s. And then when I went to do a bit more research about it, it turned out to be a 90s German bracelet, and it was marked Germany on the spring clasp. And that you only find that marking if it's pre-war or post, like the fall of the Berlin Wall. So it's really interesting that this piece looked very 50s, and it actually turned out to be newer from my vintage perspective, but kind of just shows that all like fashion is very cyclical. Even with vintage jewelry, you can, designers will look into the past. And yeah, I thought that was really cool.   Bex Scott: [00:05:51] That is really cool. When you're researching the jewelry, do you often find things that are really surprising or is like from your experience, do you kind of understand most of what you've found now before you do the research?   Lulu: [00:06:04] That's a great question. I think I have a good base knowledge of that history, having worked at Carol's Collection for a very long time. But you're always learning as you find new pieces or like, as I just said, I thought that piece was 50s. It turned out to be a 90s piece. I'm not a fashion historian. I went to school for graphic design not fashion design in the end. So I'm no expert, but you have to always keep learning and it's nice to like, get books. And when I find a piece that I don't know, I like so many Facebook groups that you can join to learn more or help identify pieces. So yeah, always, always you constantly learn as you go.   Bex Scott: [00:06:47] Nice. I went to school for graphic design as well, so that's very cool to meet another graphic designer, and I think that partially put me into collecting as well, because it's so creative and like all the colors and the research, it's kind of goes hand in hand with that creative side of your brain.   Lulu: [00:07:06] Absolutely. And I even say, like making content for social media, even though it's more screen time than my day job, it's still very creative. It's like a different type of creative muscle that you're flexing and with collecting too, it's yeah, just as you said, like finding different colors or pieces that are really unique. Yeah I love it as a creative outlet.   Bex Scott: [00:07:30] Mhm. So what role do you think vintage costume jewelry has played in fashion history.   Lulu: [00:07:37] Yeah great question. As I said I'm not a fashion historian. So I'm going to speak more generally on this. But I do think it's played a role especially for couture designers as a way to reach different audiences. I think like Chanel had clothing, but they also had jewelry, and so that became a little bit more accessible. There's a designer, Kenneth Jay Lane, who had a couture costume collection of jewelry. But then it was like, I want to make sure that my audience is more broad and actually sold on Avon. So it's like it made it more, I think, accessible in that sense.   Bex Scott: [00:08:22] Neat. I think I've heard that name before. I wouldn't know any of the pieces, but...   Lulu: [00:08:28] So his pieces are in the 60s, and some of his couture pieces are these, like beautiful, like chandelier earrings, really colorful with, like, it's called, like diamante, fake diamonds all around it. And then if you ever see says KJL or Kenneth Lane, those are...   Be
1960s Gadgets and Small Kitchen Appliances
2025/03/14
Bex Scott introduces us to an article from ClickAmericana.com all about gadgets and kitchen appliances from the 60s. She opens with a story about her finds from a recent Value Village thrifting trip that got her thinking about the sorts of small appliances she often finds there. What kind of futuristic ideas in kitchen gadgetry did the 1960s produce? And how did they advertise these new products? Join Bex to find out.  From wall and under counter mounted can openers to bun warmers and toaster ovens, it’s all here. The article features stunning images of the retro ads complete with color photos. Follow along with Bex as she learns which meat grinder can also grind hard almonds, the five good reasons for owning a General Electric rotisserie oven, and how 60s visionaries combined a portable mixer with a knife sharpener for the sake of convenience. Do you remember Presto coffee makers in white? Did you have a Redi-Oven? This episode will either make you scratch your head over the idea of owning an avocado colored blender or take you down memory lane with a Salton bun warmer. Resources discussed in this episode: Mid Century Show and Sale in Calgary, AB - April 12, 2025“1960s gadgets & small kitchen appliances made life a little easier” on ClickAmericana.com— Contact Rebecca Scott | Pyrex With Bex:  Website: PyrexWithBex.comInstagram: @pyrexwithbex—   Transcript Bex Scott: [00:00:02] Hey everybody, it's Bex Scott and welcome to the Pyrex with Bex podcast, where you guessed it, I talk about vintage Pyrex, but also all things vintage housewares. I'll take you on my latest thrifting adventures, talk about reselling, chat with other enthusiasts about their collections, and learn about a bunch of really awesome items from the past. Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you love listening to podcasts so you don't miss a beat. Everybody, this is Bex Scott and you are listening to the Pyrex with Bex podcast. I wanted to start off this episode with a little Value Village thrift store adventure. So I went into town with my husband and our daughter. Of course, she fell asleep on the way in. We were running some errands and we had some time to kill, so I asked Rob, my husband, if we could stop at Value Village and he said sure. So I let him stay in the car with our daughter, and I ran in to do a quick little ten minute run around the store, see if anything good was there. And lately Value Village hasn't been that great. There's been a lot of just broken things or missing pieces to things that I found. Today was a decent day, so there were some pretty beat up Pyrex. There was a Woodland Cinderella set, only three of the dishes, and it was priced at $35. It had some damage on the largest bowl, and I did consider it for a second, but I just couldn't justify paying $35 for that and the condition that it was in.   Bex Scott: [00:01:47] I also found a Homestead 403 mixing bowl that had been through years of dishwasher use, and they wanted $15 for it. And another primary set, blue 401. They wanted $6 for it and it was missing a lot of its color. So that was a bit of what I found today. That was a disappointment. I did, however, find six mugs from the Spring Blossom Tabletopware coordinates set. These are the nine ounce mugs that were sold in sets of four, and I found six in this pattern. So I picked them up and they were a great price. I was a bit sad though because I found them, I grabbed them and then I walked down to the other aisle and this little girl looked at me and I gave her a smile. I thought she was just being friendly, but then I heard her say, hey mom, I just saw somebody take those green flower mugs. And the mom said, don't worry, we left them there for a reason. And I felt so bad because this little girl obviously wanted to take these mugs home, but the mom was set on her not having them for some reason, probably because they didn't need six vintage mugs in their house for their kids to use. But I hope she knows that they're going to a good home.   Bex Scott: [00:03:13] I also found this amazing enamel fondue set in like a mustardy color with little flowers all over it, and it came with, I think it was six melamine divided plates and four forks with different colored plastic handles. That whole set is going to be in an upcoming mid-century modern show that I have a booth at in Calgary. It is my very first show that I'm ever doing. I have a ten by ten booth, three tables, so I'm excited to be thrifting to find some pieces that I can put in that show. If any of you are in Calgary and you hear this episode before I go to the show, it's April 12th, 2025, so you can catch me there and come and see some of the awesome pieces of Pyrex that I'm going to have there, and just other, other things that I have found over the last year or so. Going to Value Village today kind of brings me to my episode, where I always go down the appliance section, and I never expect to find anything in this section. It's usually a bunch of really beat up, lately it's been donut makers, those little instant donut makers or cake pop makers, so nothing really great in vintage, but it got me thinking about kind of the small kitchen appliances that people used in their home in the 1960s.   Bex Scott: [00:04:47] So I was doing some research and I came across this really great article in, the websites called Click Americana.Com. So go to my show notes and navigate to this article. It's called 1960s Gadgets and Small Kitchen Appliances Made Life a Little Easier, and this episode is going to be a bit of a read through the article and take you through it, but I want you to make sure that you see these photos, because a lot of them are clips taken from old catalogs and magazines, and it'll give you a really great idea of the pieces and the appliances that they had in their kitchens. And a lot of these I have seen at Value Village before, and other thrift stores, and some of them I even have in my basement right now waiting to be sold. So it's kind of a bit of an educational episode and a fun little show and tell as well.   Bex Scott: [00:05:40] So the first one we have is the retro wall-mounted manual can opener by Can-O-Mat. And this is from the 1960s, and the ad shows a little lady in the reflection of the can opener opening her can and it says most beautiful can opener made. Its clean, uncluttered beauty tells you Can-O-Mat is a masterpiece of mechanical simplicity. No levers, gadgets, wires or motors, just the easy turn of a single handle opens any can, any size, any shape. Leaves a smooth, safe drinking cup edge. That's why you'll find Can-O-Mat in most kitchens, where quiet, good taste and smooth efficiency are happily wedded. Any wonder its first choice of millions of style conscious homemakers? I struggle with can openers, all of the modern ones. I think they're terrible. I have trouble figuring out how to use them, and half the time they don't even cut properly. So it kind of has me thinking that I should be looking for one of these in the stores when I'm out and about.   Bex Scott: [00:06:42] Next up we have the Oster electric meat grinder. It's called the Electric Power Unit. It sits on your countertop and it says versatile and powerful, Oster electric meat grinder slices through foods without tearing, bruising, or mashing. That sounds kind of gross. Speedily and effortlessly grinds all foods from toughest meats to the most delicate vegetables. Even grinds hard almonds. New economies, better meals, and far more pleasure in food preparation are yours every day from the very first day you own the Oster electric meat grinder. I don't know about you guys, but I find a lot of meat grinder parts when I'm shopping or when I've bought a lot at an estate sale or in an auction. They are never complete. I would love to be able to test out one of these meat grinders, but so far I haven't come across one that's a full unit.   Bex Scott: [00:07:39] Next up we have the vintage General Electric rotisserie oven. This is really cute, it's a little countertop rotisserie oven and it says five good reasons for owning a General Electric rotisserie oven, in brackets, even if you have a good range oven. Number one is the rotisserie infrared broiler precision oven does so much more than an ordinary rotisserie. Does as many things, in fact, as an expensive range oven, and has range oven accuracy. Number two infrared broiling seals in the natural juices for best ever steaks and seafood. Brown and crusty outside. Delectable inside. Number three bake without heating up the kitchen. Separate baking element on bottom. Thermostatic heat control assure perfect cakes, breads, fancy desserts. Tilt top lid closes completely for baking. Glass window lets you peek in. This is like a fancy Easy-Bake oven. And then there's a picture. It kind of looks like a cat litter box with a lid on the top. Number four it has automatic push button controls. And number five, it's portable. You can cook anywhere with the General Electric rotisserie oven. That's pretty handy. You can take it to your friends houses. You could even cook in the parking lot if you have an outlet. Imagine taking this to a tailgate party. You just pull up your vintage rotisserie oven and put it on your tailgate. I would do that.   Bex Scott: [00:09:07] Next up we have a waffle maker and it says makes four big waffles at a time. General Electric Sandwich Grill and Waffle Iron has reversible grids that make delicious pancakes too. Grills sandwiches, bacon, and eggs. This is one that we have a ton of modern equivalents of this, so it looks pretty similar to what we have now. I have a waffle maker, but it's a tiny one, but I can see how this would be awesome. It is massive. Next up is something that I see a lot of in the thrift stores. We have the vintage GE Stainless Steel automatic coffee maker, and this one is from 1961 and it has a cute little Christmas background. But I find that these vintage c
Pyrex Name Challenge with Returning Guest Rob
2025/02/28
DISCLAIMER: Please note that I use collector's nicknames for some of the dishes and not the official names they were produced with. —  Bex Scott brings back a fan-favorite guest from Season One. In Season One he was called Rex but his actual name is Rob, Bex’s husband. Rob returns to test his Pyrex knowledge (and how well he listens to his wife talk about her Pyrex collecting) by naming Pyrex patterns shown to him. How well does Rob do? Is he a Pyrex savant? Or is he just winging it here? See how you do against Rob by following along with the photo links in the Resources section.  Rob’s final score is one. One point. Which one did he get right? No spoilers here. Lessons were learned in this episode. Rob definitely believes he’s better at naming Pyrex patterns than Pyrex was. The 60s and 70s were a wild time for Pyrex colors. Bex throws out some 14-year-old slang terms. Rob learns what a hugger is. And we all learn what the Pyrex names really are for some very interesting and classic patterns. Test your own knowledge along with Rob. And contact Bex to let her know what you think of Rob’s names.  Resources discussed in this episode: Pyrex One Rob’s name: Primary Colors Plus an AttaboyPyrex Two Rob’s name: Alternating White Wine Red Wine Vine SetPyrex Three Rob’s name: 70s Throw Up FadePyrex Four Rob’s name: Grenaded GardenPyrex Five Rob’s name: Viney Vinny’s Knobby Dish DelightPyrex Six Rob’s name: Viking’s BreadbasketPyrex Seven Rob’s name: MagnaDoodle Acid TripPyrex Eight Rob’s name: Hypnotic Salad BowlPyrex Nine Rob’s name: 70s Jello Fruit Salad Thingamabobber Calls To YouPyrex Ten Rob’s name: Gandalf’s GardenPyrex Eleven Rob’s name: Blood Red Christmas Doves Sharing a PomegranatePyrex Twelve Rob’s name: Cretaceous Era Battle for Middle Earth— Contact Rebecca Scott | Pyrex With Bex:  Website: PyrexWithBex.comInstagram: @pyrexwithbex— Transcript Bex Scott: [00:00:02] Hey everybody, it's Bex Scott and welcome to the Pyrex with Bex podcast where, you guessed it, I talk about vintage Pyrex, but also all things vintage housewares. I'll take you on my latest thrifting adventures, talk about reselling, chat with other enthusiasts about their collections, and learn about a bunch of really awesome items from the past. Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you love listening to podcasts so you don't miss a beat. Hey everybody, this is Bex Scott and you are listening to the Pyrex with Bex podcast. And on today's episode, I am bringing back one of your most favorite guests, formerly known as Rex in season one of the podcast. It is my husband, Rob. Welcome, Rob.   Rob: [00:00:48] Thanks for having me back. I'm really excited.   Bex Scott: [00:00:50] It feels like a very long, hard road getting to this recording, because we just spent the last half hour trying to fix my mic, and thank goodness that your mic wasn't working because you were playing jeopardy music in the background, trying to provoke me.   Rob: [00:01:05] It was much needed. There was so much suspense.   Bex Scott: [00:01:09] There was suspense if we were going to get this done. If, yeah, just all the suspense. So suspenseful that I'm lost for words.   Rob: [00:01:18] I can see that.   Bex Scott: [00:01:19] That made no sense. Anyway, back to the episode. Today, I thought it would be fun to play a little game with Rob to see just how well he knows his Pyrex patterns, and I've gone in and selected 12 different Pyrex patterns. I'm going to show him the picture. And because all of you wonderful people can't see what I'm showing Rob, I'm going to describe it first, and he'll give his best guess as to what the pattern is. So it's going to be a lot of learning together to see just how much Rob pays attention to me and to my love of Pyrex. Here we go. So I invite all of you to join along and make your best guess and see just how good you are with your patterns as well. I know that going through this, it was very enlightening because Pyrex didn't come up with a lot of unique, exciting names for some of their patterns and their dishes. So you'll realize that as we go through some of these. So I figured it would be nice to start off easy, give Rob a little bit of a break on his first go.   Rob: [00:02:34] And you'll understand that by asking me these questions that I should have been chosen by Pyrex to name these patterns.   Bex Scott: [00:02:43] I hope so, maybe the names you give will be so amazing that collectors around the world will just adopt them.   Rob: [00:02:50] There'll be a fee for that, but no problem.   Bex Scott: [00:02:53] Okay, we'll see how great they are, how creative you're feeling. Okay, here's the first set. So for those of you listening right now, it is a four piece mixing bowl set starting with blue, going to red, then green, then yellow. Rob, what is the name of this bowl set or pattern?   Rob: [00:03:17] I would call it Primary Colors, plus an Attaboy. Because the green is not a primary color. So you have the primary colors plus the attaboy.   Bex Scott: [00:03:31] You would be correct.   Rob: [00:03:33] Oh, it's called with the attaboy. Nice.   Bex Scott: [00:03:35] Well. No, but I like that rendition better than just the plain old Primary. So. Good job. 1 out of 12.   Rob: [00:03:44] Oh, it's called Primary. Okay.   Bex Scott: [00:03:45] Yeah. You're winning so far. Next up, we have a lot of this in our house, I'm looking at it right now. Okay. For everybody out there. It is a Cinderella Bowl set, and it goes from white to pink to white to pink, and it has some nice little without giving anything away foliage vine situations on it. Rob, what do you think this set pattern is called?   Rob: [00:04:16] I have to call it the Alternating White Wine Red Wine Vine set.   Bex Scott: [00:04:29] That's quite the name.   Rob: [00:04:31] Well, yeah. Like I said, I should have been hired for this job.   Bex Scott: [00:04:35] At first, I thought you were going to say wine spritzer.   Rob: [00:04:38] Well, yeah. Well, if you smash them, you could make a spritzer. It'd be kind of pink.   Bex Scott: [00:04:44] It's a spritzer. Okay, this is Gooseberry.   Rob: [00:04:47] Oh I was close.   Bex Scott: [00:04:48] You couldn't have been further away, but that's okay. It has a little, it's hard to see, but there's little gooseberries on there. They kind of look like onions, to be honest. That's okay.   Rob: [00:05:02] I couldn't see it in the picture very clearly.   Bex Scott: [00:05:05] I'm sorry. That was my fault.   Rob: [00:05:07] Absolutely. Anyway. Carry on.   Bex Scott: [00:05:10] Okay, next up, we have another mixing bowl set. It's an ombre. An ombre moment, as the kids would say. And it's kind of an orangey yellowy going into a more orangey. Wow. That's a terrible description.   Rob: [00:05:30] See why I should have been hired?   Bex Scott: [00:05:34] It's an orange ombre. There we go.   Rob: [00:05:37] Well, it brings back some traumatic memories of the colors that my parents made me wear. So I would call that the 70s Throw Up Fade pattern.   Bex Scott: [00:05:50] Oh, the PTSD is strong in this one.   Rob: [00:05:54] Yeah, it goes from like a horrific orange that I remember I had to wear down to like a nasty pastel yellow that I also had to wear.   Bex Scott: [00:06:04] The jumper?   Rob: [00:06:05] Yeah. Where's me jumper?   Bex Scott: [00:06:10] Okay.   Rob: [00:06:11] I'm sure that's probably not quite what Pyrex might have used, but it probably should have been.   Bex Scott: [00:06:16] So is that your your real guess?   Rob: [00:06:19] Okay, fine. Um. Let's see. I would call that. Oh, let's get all fluffy. A fading sunset.   Bex Scott: [00:06:29] Oh that's deep. That's a romantic set of bowls.   Rob: [00:06:34] Don't worry. I've got that in me.   Bex Scott: [00:06:35] Off into the fading sunset. It's called Flame Glo.   Rob: [00:06:40] Same thing.   Bex Scott: [00:06:43] Glow with no w. Yeah. Throw that wrench in there.   Rob: [00:06:47] Is there two dots over the o?   Bex Scott: [00:06:48] No. Flame Glo.   Rob: [00:06:53] Yeah, it's the the German division of Pyrex. Yeah.   Bex Scott: [00:06:58] Okay, this next one is good. Okay, I have to blow it up really big so you can see the extreme importance of the detail. So this is a Cinderella Bowl. It is green. It has a salad theme to it.   Rob: [00:07:17] I thought that's what I saw. So I would call that the Grenaded Garden pattern. Looks like somebody threw a bomb into a garden. And there's just lettuce and radishes and stuff exploded all over the place.   Bex Scott: [00:07:30] I actually like that. That's good.   Rob: [00:07:32] And it's got alliteration, right? Grenaded Garden. Final answer.   Bex Scott: [00:07:38] Ding! You are not correct. This one is interesting. This is called the Fetus Bowl.   Rob: [00:07:46] Well. I don't understand that.   Bex Scott: [00:07:48] I'm pretty sure it wasn't made and called the fetus. I think that's probably what people have called it over the years. But if you can see there's a little fetus outline right there, can you see it?   Rob: [00:08:02] Yeah. To me it looks like a kid sitting on like a Hot Wheels. You know, those green machines? Like, from when I was a kid. The three wheeled machines. It looks like a little kid sitting on one of those just ripping it up, obviously tearing up a garden patch.   Bex Scott: [00:08:18] Oh, it looks like a little kid cuddling with a leaf. But fun thing is, I was researching this while preparing for our discussion, and I learned that it comes with a pair of sparkly salad tongs back in the day.   Rob: [00:08:38] Well, everybody needs a set of bedazzler salad tongs.   Bex Scott: [00:08:41] You absolutely do. Bedazzler scooping it from your Fetus bowl.   Rob: [00:08:46] Nothing improves your appetite more than hearing that.   Bex Scott: [00:08:51] I'd like some salad right now.   Rob: [00:08:52] How would you like t
Value Village - My Process
2025/02/14
Host Bex Scott lets you in on her process for going through her local Value Village thrift store in this episode. She explains the layout of the store section by section, how they’re stocked, and what to look for in each. She explains where the good stuff is on the shelf, how to check items for damage, and where some of the hot items are hidden. If Value Village is new to you or you find it overwhelming, this episode will break it down into understandable sections and help you scour for the perfect vintage score that you’re seeking.  Bex also shares some key tips for collectors and resellers. Did you know that some of the best items are on the very bottom shelves in Value Village? Don’t be afraid to get on the floor and look down there. Where do they hide the salt and pepper shakers? Should you skip the book section? If you arrive at the store first thing in the morning, is sneaking into the middle of the queue a good idea? Bex answers all these questions and more in this episode. Listen in then share your thoughts and tips with Bex on Instagram @PyrexWithBex.  Resources discussed in this episode: Value VillageFind a Value Village near you— Contact Rebecca Scott | Pyrex With Bex:  Website: PyrexWithBex.comInstagram: @pyrexwithbex— Transcript Bex Scott: [00:00:02] Hey everybody, it's Bex Scott and welcome to the Pyrex with Bex podcast, where you guessed it, I talk about vintage Pyrex, but also all things vintage housewares. I'll take you on my latest thrifting adventures, talk about reselling, chat with other enthusiasts about their collections, and learn about a bunch of really awesome items from the past. Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you love listening to podcasts so you don't miss a beat. Hey everybody, this is Bex Scott and you are listening to the Pyrex with Bex podcast. On today's episode, I want to take you through my process for shopping at Value Village. Now, where I live in Alberta, we have quite a few different thrift shops, antique shops, but I find that the one that I have the most success at right now is actually the Value Village in Red Deer. So for those of you who live in this area, I would be interested to see if you kind of have the same process as me for going through the store. Now, I know that everybody has their own sections that they really love to hit up first. I know that when I used to go thrifting every day before we had our daughter, I used to show up way before the store opened and line up at the Value Village, this was in Calgary, not where we live now, but you would see the same people there all the time. The same person was always first, and you would get to know the people who were shopping there, which was kind of fun.   Bex Scott: [00:01:38] And you would watch as people who weren't regulars came around the corner and they thought they could sneak into the line or try and create another line to get into the store before you did. And these people were having none of it. So one thing to know for sure is to never mess with a die-hard thrifter or reseller because they stake claim to their spot in that line and they will not move from it. So back when I used to go to Value Village in Calgary, my first stop was always the Pyrex section because there were a lot of other people who went there first. You wanted to be the first one to get the fresh Pyrex that they put out. A lot of times that's how I got my full sets. And you do have to kind of fight people for different things because you can tell, right? As you guys both lock eyes on the same set, it's like whoever is closest to that, you grab it. So you put your hand on it and you just have to be assertive, which is something that I'm not good at. I've learned to be a little more assertive since I've been thrifting for a bit longer now, but it's definitely not in my personality to fight with somebody over something. It's not worth it in my opinion.   Bex Scott: [00:02:58] If somebody is going to fight with me over a set of Pyrex, I will gladly give it to them because I'm just, I don't like conflict. I will miss out on a great opportunity just to avoid the conflict with a stranger. But some other people who are there that you get to know, there was one lady, I called her the Teacup Lady because she went and cleared out the full section of teacups at Value Village every single morning, and I would kind of creep to look at what was in her cart. I have no clue about teacups at all. Nothing. No knowledge about china, any of that stuff. So it was fascinating to me to see what she was buying. And I'm sure she was a reseller, because nobody can store that many teacups in their house. Well, that might be a lie because I have that much Pyrex. But anyway, there was also a guy that would go and buy vintage books and then somebody else who would buy video games and electronics. So those were the usuals who would line up with me on at the Value Village. So since I've moved out of the city, I frequent Goodwill, Sally-Ann, Value Village, and then a few of the smaller thrift and antique stores in our town. And Value Village is definitely a big store to search through. It goes in huge cycles of being amazing and just being totally crap for what's in there.   Bex Scott: [00:04:33] A lot of it goes with the seasons, which makes sense. So right now it's not too bad because people are clearing out after the holidays. Christmas is over, they have more time. So they're focusing more on clearing out, maybe getting ready to sell their houses in the spring/summer. So there's been a lot of good vintage in the stores recently, but before Christmas, it was all Christmas. That's all you would find there. Everything else was kind of junky stuff. And then right after Christmas, it went through a phase where the shelves were, like, completely bare, except for a few things. So now if, now is February, if you're getting into thrifting or reselling, now is a great time, in my opinion, to start stocking up on your inventory and looking through things before the big garage sale season comes up, which I'm extremely excited about.   Bex Scott: [00:05:33] Okay, so I avoid a lot of sections in Value Village when I look for my inventory. That is mainly because it's not my area of specialty. I don't know a lot about it, and I can't buy from every single category, or I would probably be kicked out of my house. Just kidding. But it would, it wouldn't work. So right when you walk into our Value Village, on the right, there's DVDs and board games. Now, I know a lot of people who resell DVDs and resell vintage, and not even vintage, just modern contemporary games, and they do extremely well.   Bex Scott: [00:06:12] So I would love to get somebody on the podcast as a guest to talk about just board games, DVDs, music, that kind of stuff, because that is a section that I avoid. The first section that I do go to is the book section. I am a massive reader. I read every day. Right now my goal is to try and read six books a month. I did that for January. We'll see for February. But I have a problem with buying books for myself, never mind books to resell and to collect. But when I do buy them for my collection, it's the Little Golden Books. I love vintage Little Golden Books. Some of the newer ones are cute too, but I buy them for the illustrations and the artwork in them, and this might hurt a lot of people to hear, but I repurposed some of the pages in crafting, so I've been making little coasters and journals, covering journals with like Disney pictures and just really nice old vintage artwork, which I know is terrible to do to cut a book up. But I try to only cut the ones up that are really damaged. I don't ever touch a brand new pristine condition book. So I collect those for myself and to read to my daughter. So I'm trying to collect as many Little Golden Books for her as I can to pass down to her. I also have had great success selling the Little Golden Books.   Bex Scott: [00:07:50] So if you can find them for like $0.25 each or a dollar each, they usually resell for like $3 to $4. So not a huge profit there. But if you get enough of them, you can sell them in bulk, you can sell them as a collection. And you might be able to find some good money in that section. Next, I always buy vintage Baby-Sitters Club books and Sweet Valley High, so right now those ones are really popular. I've sold quite a few Baby-Sitters Club books, and they did release, I think it was on Netflix, a Baby-Sitters Club TV show, which is actually pretty good, I'm not going to lie. So it did make a little bit of a comeback, but people are trying to complete their collections that they had growing up. So I always try and grab those books, especially the older Baby-Sitters Club ones. Next is Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys. There are some extremely die-hard collectors here, and I know I've talked about this in a previous podcast episode. There are different types of the Nancy Drew, different time frames that they were released with different covers, artwork, that kind of thing. So keep that in mind when you are buying them if you were trying to complete a collection or you're trying to resell, that different ones will have different values just because of the time they were released and the type of cover that they have.   Bex Scott: [00:09:25] Okay, so once you leave the book section in my Value Village, you go to this extremely overwhelming vase section where they've just crammed every single vase that has ever been donated from a florist shop. So you'll see a bajillion of them. They all look the same. They're all in there. I don't know why, but the same two vases could have two different prices. It drives me insane. But this is where I have had the most luck finding swung vases. And you need to be quick on these. Like this, when I walk in, I scan that section first to see if they've put anything really tall on the top shelf, because that's where they usually are. If I don't see
The 5 Pyrex Patterns I DON’T Love - Minus One I Forgot
2025/01/31
Host Bex Scott shares the five Pyrex patterns that she doesn’t love in this episode. In addition to naming the unloved patterns, she explores their history and what dishes made up the sets on offer. Everyone’s tastes are different so listeners may love a pattern Bex doesn’t. You may agree with Bex or you may want to bring a case in defence of a favourite that appears on this list. Or possibly you’re new to Pyrex and want to explore different sets. Whichever way you lean, there’s something for you in this episode.  All the information Bex shares is from the Pyrex Bible, more formally known as Pyrex Passion 2nd Edition by Michael D. Barber. From Golden Acorn to the infamous Old Orchard, Bex lets you into her opinions on her least loved Pyrex patterns. What is it about these patterns that put her off? What other patterns does she dislike? What is the best way to ruin a gold pattern Pyrex bowl? And is there anybody who will stand up in support of Old Orchard? Listen in then share your agreements, arguments, and collection display photos with Bex on Instagram @PyrexWithBex.  Resources discussed in this episode: “Pyrex Passion 2nd Edition” by Michael D. BarberGolden Acorn PyrexGolden Honeysuckle PyrexOld Orchard PyrexForest Fancies PyrexPyrex brown hugger cradle— Contact Rebecca Scott | Pyrex With Bex:  Website: PyrexWithBex.comInstagram: @pyrexwithbex— Transcript Bex Scott: [00:00:02] Hey everybody, it's Bex Scott and welcome to the Pyrex with Bex podcast, where you guessed it, I talk about vintage Pyrex, but also all things vintage housewares. I'll take you on my latest thrifting adventures, talk about reselling, chat with other enthusiasts about their collections, and learn about a bunch of really awesome items from the past. Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you love listening to podcasts so you don't miss a beat. Hey everybody, this is Bex Scott and you are listening to the Pyrex with Bex podcast. On today's episode, I wanted to talk about the five Pyrex patterns that I don't love. I figured that since I've talked in the past about so many of the patterns that I do love, and I've had guests talking about their collections and the ones that they collect the most often, I'd switch things up a little bit and talk about the ones that I don't love as much. Now I do enjoy all Pyrex and I'll use any kind of pattern. I have even put patterns that I don't love in displays just because they go so well. And you'll realize that there's a bit of a pattern to the ones that I don't love once I start going through them. But I wanted to give you an idea of some of the ones that I don't necessarily collect as much of, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on whether you agree with me, which ones you don't love, and get a conversation going. You can find me on Instagram at Pyrex with Bex, and feel free to share your thoughts about this episode there.   Bex Scott: [00:01:42] So starting off, we have the first one, and I'll start by saying all of the information that I'm going to give is from the Pyrex Bible, the Pyrex Passion Book by Michael D Barber. I have the second edition, and that's where I get all of my of my information from. So I wanted to, once I say which pattern I don't love, give you a little bit of background information on the dish so that you can learn a little bit more about it if you're a new collector, or maybe you have been collecting for a while, but you haven't necessarily read up about certain patterns. And just to give some fun information on each of the pieces. Because regardless of whether I like it, there's tons of other people out there that do like these pieces, so to each their own.   Bex Scott: [00:02:30] So the very first one is the Gold Acorn. And I have owned various pieces of this set, and I believe I started off liking them, but it just wasn't a pattern that grew on me. So this one was produced from 1959 to 1963, and it came in an assorted bakeware set. So it was gold applied to a beige background. It paints a little bit of a picture, and it's like a scrolly kind of ivy leaf pattern with little acorns on it. And it says that the boxes didn't include the pattern name, but marketing materials from the time used the name Gold Acorn on Ivory or Golden Touch in reference to this pattern. And it says that the first edition of Pyrex Passion referred to the pattern as Golden Acorn, but Gold Acorn was more commonly used in the catalogs. And most items were offered from 1959 to 1963, with the exception of the 053 oval open baker, which was dropped in 1962. So the ones that I've had are the oval casseroles, and they come in the one and a half quart and two and a half quart with the clear lids. And I've also had a divided serving dish. And one of the things that I learned early on when I was collecting Pyrex is that you don't put anything abrasive on gold, and this was me being naive. I should have known better. But I remember getting a tube of peek because starting off in my collecting, I had heard that peek is the perfect thing to take the utensil marks off of Pyrex and just clean them up, which it is. But you cannot use anything abrasive on gold because it will wear it off. So I remember squeezing the peek onto a piece of paper towel, and I rubbed off the whole bottom half of the gold acorn pattern. And I still haven't forgotten that it was a good lesson for me to learn, but for any of you that are just starting out, you can use peek to clean your Pyrex but do not use it on the gold. It will ruin it.   Bex Scott: [00:04:58] Okay, so the Gold Acorn was also offered in the stamp catalog carousel with a cradle, and the stamp program was where you would redeem your stamps at the store and they would give you the Pyrex in return. So it says the item appears in the 1961 Top Value Stamps Family Gift Catalog. The cradle was the same one used on the 1959 duet, or also known as Dandelion Casserole. And that one kind of has the same colorings. It's more of a yellow, though, actually. And I really like the Dandelion. The oval divided serving dish also came in Gold Acorn and then the oval open baker. And I have to say, I don't love this pattern, but I do have a weakness for space saver casseroles. I just love the size of them, especially if they come with that metal lid. Perfect for the freezer. So these ones were sold individually with a clear lid from 1959 to 1963. And then they came out with another set, same time frame though, with the oven freezer serving set. And they were both packaged in a set that included one clear lid and two metal lids. And I know where I am in Canada at least those metal lids are very hard to come by. I think I have maybe one of them that I was lucky enough to find on Facebook Marketplace, and that's one that I will never resell. That one will stay in my collection, and I'm always on the lookout for more of those metal lids. Now, the Gold Acorn did have a prototype, and they were the 473, 474 and 475. They were the round casseroles with clear lids, and these ones were not standard production items. They have resurfaced in this pattern and are being said that they're possibly manufactured as test items in the early 1960s.   Bex Scott: [00:07:00] So next up, you'll see there's a bit of a theme here with which patterns I don't love. We have the Golden Honeysuckle, so it's not all gold that I dislike. There are quite a few patterns, especially the promotional ones that have gold. There's just something about these ones that have the vines or the flowers that I don't know why, it just doesn't do it for me. The Golden Honeysuckle 1963 to 1965. It was testing, Corning was testing the market with new shapes and sizes of casseroles. And I think that's maybe why this one I don't love so much. Now, I've owned all of the Golden Honeysuckle, and they are really nice to bake casseroles in and to heat things in because they're nice and long and they're really deep. There's also shallow ones for vegetables, which is great. But to me, this isn't the standard Pyrex that I know and love. They released four casseroles, and they featured a unique square shape designed by William M Curtis.   Bex Scott: [00:08:09] To ensure the gold pattern adhered properly casseroles were sprayed white on top of the opal glass. Walnut serving trays were also available in one size, a 935 that fit the two smaller casseroles, while another size, 958, fit the two larger casseroles. The serving trays were sold separately and also packaged with the casseroles when sold as a set. And these casseroles were sold individually and you have the 033, 035, 055, 058, 935 which is the tray and the 958 which is the tray. And then it came as a casserole serving set. So you have the 33, the 35, the 55 and the 58. And then there were casserole prototypes. So after the casserole style was patented in 1961, Corning tested the new shapes with many different designs. These prototype items are quite rare, but can be found in many patterns such as Early American, Green Scroll, White Snowflake on Turquoise, and White Compass on Turquoise.   Bex Scott: [00:09:17] Okay, the next one. This is going to be no surprise because I've talked about it at length on many of my episodes. That Old Orchard is my least favorite pattern. And there's tons of memes out there about poor Old Orchard. And it really doesn't get a lot of love. So I would really like to know how many collectors out there or just people in general, like the Old Orchard pattern. And if you have examples of how you've styled Old Orchard in your shelves with other items, I would really like to see them because this is one pattern that is very interesting to me, and I'm sure it will look great in a fall assembly of just different items, so feel free to shoot them over to me on Instagram.   Bex Scott: [00:10:06] So Old Orchard was 1973 to 1977 and it contained a mix of pattern pieces, solid colored pieces and pieces with brown shading sprayed around the top of
1950s Housewife - Husband Hunting
2025/01/17
Today, Bex Scott takes us back in time to the days of the 1950s housewife. An article from the New Zealand Herald in 2018 shared a vintage 1950s article on how to attract men and Bex dives into it with us to see how many, if any, of the old tips are valid. Take a trip in Bex’s time machine and learn, from different articles, how to find a husband, how to keep him happy once married, and how to keep looking pretty for this coveted man. How cringe-worthy is this article by today’s standards? Join Bex to find out.  Modern dating often involves online dating so in fifty years we may look back on this era and find it extremely cringe-worthy as well. For now, 1950s sensibilities are on glorious display in this vintage article. The article was originally published under the title 129 Ways to Get a Husband in McCall’s magazine and was aimed at women who weren’t married by the ripe old age of seventeen. The suggestions range from simple - “walk a dog” - to baffling - “read the obituaries to find eligible widowers”. Of course, snagging a husband is only half the battle. Once married, he has to be kept happy. Those suggestions, from a 1950s Home Ec book, range from the expected - “have dinner ready when he comes home” - to the old school - “arrange his pillow and offer to take off his shoes”. Deep dive into the mind-blowing world of 50s husband hunting with Bex. Resources discussed in this episode: “Husband Hunting: Cringeworthy 1950s article advises women on how to attract men” NZ Herald, November 7, 2018— Contact Rebecca Scott | Pyrex With Bex:  Website: PyrexWithBex.comInstagram: @pyrexwithbex— Transcript Bex Scott: [00:00:02] Hey everybody, it's Bex Scott and welcome to the Pyrex with Bex podcast where, you guessed it, I talk about vintage Pyrex, but also all things vintage housewares. I'll take you on my latest thrifting adventures, talk about reselling, chat with other enthusiasts about their collections, and learn about a bunch of really awesome items from the past. Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you love listening to podcasts so you don't miss a beat. Hey everybody, this is Bex Scott and you are listening to the Pyrex with Bex podcast. On today's episode, I wanted to go into a topic that interests me and I'm sure interests quite a few of you as well. It's the 1950s housewife. So we just got through the holiday season. We're in January now. By the time you listen to this episode, it's probably going to be way past that. But over the holidays, I always like going through cookbooks, reading old magazines, and learning a little bit more about the 1950s and 1960s and doing some research. And this past holiday season, I came across a bunch of really good recipes, articles and books. But one in particular that I wanted to talk about today was based off of an article from a while back. It was actually published on November 7th in 2018, in the New Zealand Herald. And the title was Husband Hunting, Cringeworthy 1950s Article Advises Women on How to Attract Men. And this headline caught me right after I read it.   Bex Scott: [00:01:50] I had to go through online dating before I met my husband. Dated a whole bunch of really interesting guys, not so great guys. Just ask anybody in my family. I was very lucky to find my husband and now not have to worry about how to attract a man, as this article title says. But I always find it very interesting to learn about what women had to do, or what was kind of expected of them in that time period with beauty, with how they were supposed to act, etiquette in general, and kind of what the world expected of women in the 1950s. And I think this article sums it up perfectly. So I'm going to go through it with you. And they have the actual article from, so they wrote about it in the New Zealand Herald, but they also have the 1950s article in full here that I will read for you. And I think you guys are going to get a kick out of some of it and probably cringe at most of it, but I'd love to know what you think after this episode.   Bex Scott: [00:03:02] Okay, so they start off by saying a magazine from the 1950s features a cringe worthy advice column for single women on how to attract men. The article, headlined 129 Ways to Get a Husband from the American magazine McCall's, includes hilarious and bizarre tips where most would never be used in this era, I'm sure. Photos of the advice column were posted on Facebook, with the post quickly becoming viral. So this is in 2018. The post had been shared over 13,000 times and had caused widespread controversy, quickly racking up more than 4600 likes and thousands of comments from shocked and amused users. The feature, aimed at women who weren't married by 17, was created with the help of 16 people who used a brainstorming technique to see if they could come up with fresh ideas on how to find a husband. The first 30 pointers reveal where to find him, giving single women creative tips on how to run into their potential new husband. This section includes advice as simple as get a dog and walk it to very cynical ideas like read obituaries to find eligible widowers.   Bex Scott: [00:04:16] Okay, so there's 13 different numbers here that they've listed on where to find your husband. Number one, get a dog and walk it. Number two, have your car break down at strategic places. That sounds very sketchy to me. I would not advise this in 2025 at all. Number three, attend night school, take courses men like. Okay. Number four, join a hiking club. I know many people, I have many friends who've actually done this and met some very nice men. So a hiking club is not a bad number here. Number five, look in the census reports for places with the most single men. Nevada has 125 males for every 100 females. Number six, read the obituaries to find eligible widowers. That is crazy. We're not going to do that. Number seven, take up golf and go to different golf courses. Okay, that could be a solid go-to. Number eight, take several short vacations at different places rather than one long one at one place. Number nine, sit on a park bench and feed the pigeons. Number ten, take a bicycle trip through Europe. Mm. That sounds very romantic and not realistic to find a man on a bicycle trip. You never know. I've known people who've met their significant other on a nice European trip. Number 11, get a job in a medical, dental or law school. Number 12, become a nurse or an airline stewardess. They have very high marriage rates. Number 13, ask your friends husbands who the eligible men are in their offices.   Bex Scott: [00:06:10] Okay, so the next piece of advice is how to let him know you're there. Giving women cunning ideas to get a man's attention. Okay, so here are all 41 of the ways to let him know you're there. So feel free to try any of these if you'd like. Okay. Be nice to everybody, they may have an eligible brother or son. Get a government job overseas. Forget discretion every once in a while and call them up. Carry a hat box. I wonder what that would do now? Probably not too much. If you carried a hat box, people would be wondering what was in the box. Make a lot of money. Okay. Learn several funny stories and learn to tell them well, but make sure you don't tell them to him more than once. Walk up to him and tell him you need some advice. Dropping the handkerchief still works. You could do that with a Kleenex, but I highly doubt that a man is going to pick up your Kleenex. Have your father buy some theater tickets that have to be got rid of. Don't let him fish for your name the next time you meet. None of this guess who stuff.   Bex Scott: [00:07:35] Next, single women are given advice on how to look good to him. Suggesting what cosmetics and items to wear. Get better looking glasses. Men still make passes at girls who wear glasses. Or you could try contact lenses, number 49 advises. Wear high heels most of the time, they're sexier. Unless he happens to be shorter than you, another pointer said. Okay, so here we go, continuing on. If you're at a resort, have the bellboy page you. Buy a convertible. Men like to ride in them. Learn how to bake tasty apple pies. Bring one into the office and let the eligible bachelor taste it. Laugh at his jokes. If there's a wallflower among the men you know, why not cultivate him. Oh cultivate the flower? For all you know, he may be a diamond in the rough. Accidentally have your purse fly open, scattering its contents all over the street. I don't think I'd want any, no, no, I don't want anybody knowing what's in my purse. Not that there's anything bad in there, but probably a lot of Pyrex. No, I'm kidding. I didn't have Pyrex back in the day in my purse.   Bex Scott: [00:07:35] Okay. How to look good to him. So this is the next section. Men like to think they're authorities on perfume. Ask his advice on what kind you should wear. Practice your drinking with your women friends first. If you dye your hair, pick a shade and stick to it. Tell him he's handsome. Take good care of your health, men don't like girls who are ill. That's an obvious one. If you look good in sweaters, wear one on every third date. Dress differently from the other girls in the office. Get a sunburn. What? Watch your vocabulary. Blah blah blah. Oh, my gosh, that's a great word to stumble on. Watch your vocabulary. There we go. Go on a diet if you need to. What? When you're with him, order your steak rare. Don't tell him about your allergies. Oh, great, so he can try and kill you. That's a good one. European women use their eyes to good advantage. Practice in front of a mirror. Buy a full length mirror, and take a good look before you go to greet him. What does that mean? That's rude. Change the shade of your stockings and be sure to keep the seams straight. Get the fresh scrubbed look by scrubbing. If he has bought you any trinket or accessory, wear it. Use the ashtray. Don't crush out cigarettes in coffee cups. P
The Homemaker's Encyclopedia - 1952
2025/01/03
In today’s episode, Bex Scott shares vintage advice and tips for the retro homemaker from “The Homemaker’s Encyclopedia - 1952” book that she recently acquired. Featuring of-the-time shopping advice, meal ideas, kitchen planning suggestions, and more, this is a genuine blast from the past glimpse into the housewife’s day-to-day mealtime expectations. Join Bex for a trip into the past and learn some new (old) ways to shop and cook to please your family.  “The Homemaker’s Encyclopedia -1952” includes such chapters as “Marketing Know-How”, “Different Items You Can Stock in Your Larder”, and “How Much Is Enough”. The author encourages women (the target audience for this book since it was women, the wives and mothers, who did all the grocery shopping, meal planning, and cooking in the 50s) to be unafraid of experimenting with “new foods, new recipes, and new ways of cooking”. She maintains that careful planning will enable women to provide balanced nutrition and budget-conscious meal preparation for their families. Bex also shares an amusing section on grocery store etiquette (including the gem “Dogs must be left outside, but children must often be brought inside”) and specific kitchen design shapes that maximize efficiency in prep and service. For lovers of vintage, retro cooking ideas, and amusing throwbacks, this episode is a must-listen.  Resources discussed in this episode: “The Homemaker’s Encyclopedia 1952: Food-Buying and Meal-Planning” photo— Contact Rebecca Scott | Pyrex With Bex:  Website: PyrexWithBex.comInstagram: @pyrexwithbex— Transcript Bex Scott: [00:00:02] Hey everybody, it's Bex Scott and welcome to the Pyrex with Bex podcast where, you guessed it, I talk about vintage Pyrex, but also all things vintage housewares. I'll take you on my latest thrifting adventures, talk about reselling, chat with other enthusiasts about their collections, and learn about a bunch of really awesome items from the past. Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you love listening to podcasts so you don't miss a beat.   Bex Scott: [00:00:31] Hey everybody, this is Bex Scott and you are listening to the Pyrex with Bex podcast. On today's episode, I thought it would be fun to go through a newly acquired book that I have called The Homemaker's Encyclopedia Food Buying and Meal Planning. Now this beauty is from 1952, so it is exactly what you might expect. The content is all about the woman being at home being the homemaker, the man going out and working his 9 to 5 job and coming home to his children and his wife being ready to serve him his meal and for him to relax with a drink in his hand. And I wanted to read some excerpts of this book to you because it was honestly very entertaining to read and to just note how different times are now than they were before. In my household right now my husband does all of the cooking. I like to do the cleaning. We both work and we both equally contribute to raising our three kids, and it was just really interesting to read through the difference in how they used to do things. And I know a bunch of you can probably remember this from your childhood, maybe your parents. That was the dynamic for them back in the 50s, and it would just be interesting to hear your take on things in your memories of how things were.   Bex Scott: [00:02:11] So I wanted to start off by going through the introduction, because I believe that this gives you, as it says, a good introduction to this interesting book. So it says "Every homemaker is conscious of the need to try to get the greatest value for the money she can spend. How to do this while still continuing to provide meals that are nutritious and varied, is the subject of conversation whenever good housewives get together. Books such as this can be of great help. In an interesting fashion with easy-to-follow suggestions, the author ranges over the fields of marketing and menu planning in an effort to help you in your daily program". Now, when they say marketing, this is kind of embarrassing because that's my field of work. I'm in marketing. And when I read that, I was really confused about what they were talking about. Marketing is actually going to the supermarket. So yeah, that was an interesting enlightning fact for me. "While keeping the main objective in view, that of securing the most nourishing foods at the prices you can pay, she nevertheless succeeds in proving to the reader that this branch of homemaking need never grow uninteresting or monotonous, just as the meals you serve need never become dull for your family. The willingness to experiment, to try new foods, new recipes, and new ways of cooking should be part of every housewife's equipment. In many an old-fashioned American household, the food followed an unvarying pattern: a roast on Sunday, hash on Monday, chowder on Friday, beans on Saturday, or whatever". Or whatever. "Before the family entered the dining room, they knew exactly what would be on the table".   Bex Scott: [00:03:58] Growing up, we had roast every Sunday and that was honestly the best day of the week for me. My mom's roasts, they were amazing. And when we go back home to visit with them, my mom still likes to make a roast for all of us when we get together. "Most younger women are more flexible than the old-time cooks. They are learning some of the secrets of using unusual flavor through spices, herbs, and sauces to borrow from other nations some tricks of applying imagination to the food they serve their families. American menus would be the poorer without Swiss and Italian cheeses, Hungarian goulash, French and Vienna breads, chili con carne, chow mein and chop suey, Irish stew, frankfurters and sauerkraut, England's plum pudding, or whatever your particular favorites happen to be. Bearing this in mind, you need never be afraid to experiment or pioneer in foods or methods. In this book, along with practical advice on efficient shopping techniques, cooking shortcuts, and dollar stretchers, you'll find a view of meal planning as a family affair. To many women, marketing and cooking is a burden because they do all of it alone. The author suggests ways in which the other members of the family can help. Father with the marketing, the children in preparing meals and helping to serve them. Making these projects a part of your family's life seems a practical application of homemaking. That art, which is, in the last analysis, the most important profession open to any woman".   Bex Scott: [00:05:28] So now we get into the good stuff. So we've been introduced to the book, know a little bit about it, so part one is meal planning. "Number one, a good meal doesn't just happen. The experienced traveller knows that the success of a trip depends on thorough, beforehand planning. Just so homemakers whose meals get consistent rave reviews from family and friends will tell you that a good meal is made at the meal planning desk rather than at the cook stove". And there's a nice picture of a woman sitting at her meal planning desk, and it says, "when you plan ahead, you can relax and enjoy meal times too". I can tell you that my husband doesn't have a meal planning desk, but I'm going to ask him now if he would like one, and I'll let you know what he says. Okay, so it says, "and while impromptu meals can be lots of fun once in a while, a steady succession of haphazard conglomerations tells its story in flurry and worry, not to mention the added expense which substitutes for proper planning. Your family will probably be most interested in how the food looks and tastes, and in whether you are calm and cheerful or cross and worn out when you join them at the table". I can tell you that our two sons could care less what the food looks like. They are more interested in how it tastes and how quickly they can consume it. "You, on the other hand, will be equally concerned with balancing the budget and the nutritional scale, for you know that the actual health of your family is dependent upon the meals you serve. Every smart woman knows that you can lead a husband to vitamins, but you can't always make him eat". That is something that I have never heard before. "This holds true of children as well and harping on food values usually creates eating problems rather than converts to balanced nutrition. When you plan ahead, you can relax and enjoy meal times too, secure in the knowledge that you are giving your family food they need in ways they enjoy it, with a maximum of economy and a minimum of work".   Bex Scott: [00:07:39] And then it goes into "four ways to help you turn meal planning from a hand-to-mouth operation into a pleasant and worthwhile habit". Next up, this is a little pull quote that I had to share with you guys. It says "Entree, usually a made-up dish of an unusual food". So if anybody ever asks you what an entrée is, please be sure to use this definition. Okay next up we have the elements of a successful meal. "When you get right down to the business of meal planning, you must remember to coordinate a number of other factors with your four menu factors of: number one nutrition values, number two economy or money-saving, number three efficiency or time and effort saving, and number four" is my favorite "honest to goodness pleasure in eating". That's why I eat. Not to survive. I eat to enjoy and experience the pleasure in eating. "So you may want to introduce new foods, provide an invalid diet or entertain company on a budget. You may decide to streamline the family's collective waistline through a high-protein but low in calorie diet. Or you may yearn to cut down on dirty dishes and utensils so as to have more time for after-dinner fun with the family. And don't think for a moment that to do all these things, you're going to have to sacrifice personal or family preferences and foods, or throw out the window sectional or national ways of eating that are dear to your heart and
Federal Glass & More with Ruth from Periwinkle Collectibles
2024/12/20
Bex Scott welcomes guest Ruth from Periwinkle Collectibles on Instagram to the show to talk all about Federal Glass, among other things. Ruth teaches Bex some fascinating facts about Federal Glass, their patterns, which country they released certain items in, and how to spot the collectibles in the wild. Not every thrift trip can be single-minded, however, so Bex and Ruth talk about some of the other vintage items they search for and enjoy as well.   Ruth claims Pyrex collecting was her gateway into other milk glass companies, patterns, and makers, and admits that in the early days, she would find something she thought was Pyrex only to bring it home and learn it wasn’t. Through those research lessons, she found that something she initially thought was Fire King was in fact Federal Glass and that sent her on a whole new collecting journey. Bex learns about the sheer number of varieties of dot colors and sets available in Federal Glass, how so many promotional items came to be made of Federal Glass, and how to differentiate Federal from other items in the wild. Join this episode to learn what Facebook Group to join for identifying Federal, what pieces are most sought-after, and exactly how many collections Ruth draws the line at maintaining.   Resources discussed in this episode: Vintage Federal Glass Facebook GroupEarly American Pattern Glass Society: Federal Glass vintage patterns reference“Shield F - The Mark of Quality” by Marg Iwen, Winter 2006, The Federation of Historical Bottle CollectorsFederal Glass circus bowlsFederal Glass dots bowlsFederal Glass mushroom bowl1974 Federal Glass ad page— Contact Ruth | Periwinkle Collectibles Instagram: @periwinklecollectiblesContact Rebecca Scott | Pyrex With Bex:  Website: PyrexWithBex.comInstagram: @pyrexwithbex—   Transcript Bex Scott: [00:00:02] Hey everybody, it's Bex Scott and welcome to the Pyrex with Bex podcast where, you guessed it, I talk about vintage Pyrex, but also all things vintage housewares. I'll take you on my latest thrifting adventures, talk about reselling, chat with other enthusiasts about their collections, and learn about a bunch of really awesome items from the past. Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you love listening to podcasts so you don't miss a beat. Hey everybody, this is Bex Scott and you are listening to the Pyrex with Bex podcast. And today I am very excited to have Ruth from Periwinkle Collectibles. Welcome back Ruth.   Ruth: [00:00:41] Hi Bex, it's good to be back.   Bex Scott: [00:00:44] How have you been since we last talked?   Ruth: [00:00:46] Oh, it's been a great, wonderful summer. But the days are getting shorter, the leaves are starting to fall, and it's time to start thinking about collections, isn't it?   Bex Scott: [00:00:57] It is. And my favorite Halloween fall season for Pyrex displays is just around the corner and I, as everybody knows, am an avid Pyrex collector. You collect Pyrex yourself, but today I'm very excited because you are going to talk to us about a different collection that you have. So maybe just kick us off and let us know what you're going to be chatting about.   Ruth: [00:01:23] Sure, sure. I thought that Pyrex, at least for me, was a gateway into a lot of other milk glass companies and patterns and makers, and many of us have found something at the thrift, found something out in the wild, brought it home thinking it was Pyrex. Started doing a little bit of research. And for me, this was before Google Image and before AI put all kinds of weird things out there, but it was before Google Image, so you'd have to try and describe what you had found to figure out, well, this isn't Pyrex, because it takes a while to realize that most Pyrex pieces have Pyrex stamped on them. And so you find a pretty white bowl at the thrift store with a really cute pattern, or what you think is really cute. And I mean, now I just, I flip things over and look for the maker mark. But back then I would just go oh 2.99 and this is pretty, in the cart it goes, and I'd bring it home and I'd go, oh, I found this great Pyrex. And then I'd start looking at it and trying to figure out the pattern and oh my gosh, I realized it wasn't Pyrex. Well, then what the heck was it? Well, I found quite a few pieces that had a really large capital F in a shield and I thought, wow, I found Fire-King! And I went on, this is the days of Facebook groups being the only place to really share things.   Ruth: [00:02:51] This is kind of early days of Instagram and before a lot of other social media. I remember going onto a Fire-King group and excitedly sharing what I had found. And wow, I got politely but quickly schooled that what I had found was not Fire-King, but it was Federal. And I'm like Federal? What the heck is that? So I started looking up the patterns of that and going, oh. So I mean, Federal Glass was a company that was around for, I think, around 80-ish years in the States. I think they were in Ohio. They started off making, I think it was like pressed glass in the early 1900s. They made an awful lot of depression glass. And I'll be honest, even though I lived through the 80s and 90s, I have never collected depression glass in my life. A lot of my friends were collecting depression glass during that time, but I never really got into it. It didn't, it didn't appeal to me because depression glass, that's a whole nother discussion. But Federal made a lot of depression glass. They made a lot of barware. But what I particularly really enjoy is the opal ware or the, what people call milk glass, and the pretty patterns that I thought were made by Federal. Because when I flipped the bowl or the casserole or the mug over, it had an F and a shield. But I also discovered that, well, Federal made an awful lot of milk glass or opal ware, they also sold what was called blanks to decorator companies. And so I live in Canada, and what I have learned over the years is that in particular, there was a company outside of Toronto that did a lot of decorating of Federal blanks and other Fire-King and a few other blanks too, and they were called Cutler. C U T L E R. So they, like, printed on Federal blanks. And that's kind of the main reason why the Federal glass that's found in Canada, it's a lot of different patterns. I mean, there is some overlap, but there's quite a lot of patterns that are more commonly found in Canada than in the States.   Bex Scott: [00:05:19] Interesting. I am already learning things from you because I had no idea. I had heard of Cutler and I'd heard of Federal Glass, but that is very cool.   Ruth: [00:05:29] Yeah, I mean Cutler, they bought blanks from other companies and they did a lot of glassware. But basically their thing was they decorated glassware. You know, they painted onto items made by other companies. So there's a lot of Federal Glass in Canada that is tourist ware, you know, mugs with city, city and town names on them and festivals and hockey teams and businesses and things like that. And of course, it exists in the States also, and Federal in the states was also making decorated milk glass and other glass items. But it explains why some patterns show up in Canada in way larger quantities. There was a gas company in Quebec, I believe it was, that gave away the circus bowls. That's a pattern that a lot of Federal collectors, or you've probably seen it too, it has like red, orange, green, blue pattern around the edge of various circus animals and circus carts and things. Well, that was a giveaway from a gas station in Quebec.   Bex Scott: [00:06:41] No way.   Ruth: [00:06:43] Yes way.   Bex Scott: [00:06:44] I would love to get that from a gas station. Why can't we get that from gas stations now?   Ruth: [00:06:48] I know. When I could, when I could afford gas in the 80s, it was Petro Can. And all we got was those ugly glasses that said every garage sale you ever go to in Canada. But this was an earlier time because I think Federal Glass was out of business by 1980, for sure. I've seen a whole bunch of different sources. Some say 77, some say 79, whatever. By 1980, they were gone. So a lot of this stuff was given away in the 60s and 70s. But that's why there's so many circus bowls in Canada, in particular in Ontario and Quebec. And maybe the company was in Ontario as well, but definitely found way more in the eastern half of Canada than the western half of Canada.   Bex Scott: [00:07:31] So has that made the circus bowls more popular in the States for collectors?   Ruth: [00:07:37] Yeah, yeah, that does do that because they're harder to find. And isn't that what always happens with collectors is the sought-after is the harder to find? Is that just the way we are as people? Is that just...   Bex Scott: [00:07:54] Yeah. We always want what we can't have.   Ruth: [00:07:56] Exactly, exactly. So it was like the circus bowls. And then there was also the dots. There's way more of them that show up. And that's in particular one of my favorite patterns, because along the way, as I was looking for Pyrex, I found a brown dot Federal mug that I thought was kind of cute. So I brought it home and started looking at how many colors does that come in? And I went, well, I'm going to see what I can find. And eight years later, 27 mugs later, I'm still finding new ones.   Bex Scott: [00:08:35] That was going to be my next question. How many different dot colors does it come in?   Ruth: [00:08:40] Oh boy. Well, yeah. First of all, there's two dot variations. There's one where all the dots are the same size, basically, and another where there's two sizes of dots. And then the shape of the mug, there's three variations. So the colors, I think basically it's about 6 or 8 per shape. And then on the two size dots I've only ever been able to find or hear of about 6. We have on the Facebook group, the Federal Facebook group that I belong to, which Bex is going to link in the podcast.   Bex Scott: [00:09
My Adventure at the Goodwill Bins
2024/12/06
Bex Scott shares her adventure thrifting at the Goodwill Impact Centre blue bins in Calgary, Alberta. The Goodwill outlet bins are where items like clothing, small home decor, fabric, toys, and similar donated things go to be upcycled if they don’t sell or can’t be used in the store. Bex explains what her very first visit was like, the treasures she found, the bin etiquette, and tips for other thrifters wanting to visit the bins themselves.  Admittedly nervous because she is a shy and introverted person, Bex visited the Calgary Goodwill bins on a hot Sunday during the Calgary Stampede which likely made her visit less crowded than it would otherwise be. She was initially afraid of confrontation over items but while each new bin wheeled out was immediately pillaged by eager thrifters, there is a code of conduct that Goodwill enforces. Bex talks about the vintage Cabbage Patch Kids, vintage fabric, World War Two DVDs, and other treasures she found during her visit. She details exactly what happens when new bins roll out, where to leave shopping carts, how to check out, and how items are priced. She also divulges that some Whatnot sellers get permission to live-sell right from the bins. This episode is a how-to guide for Goodwill bins and an absolute must for thrifters wanting their first visit to be a success. Resources discussed in this episode: Goodwill Impact Centre of AlbertaGoodwill Outlets Location Finder for America— Contact Rebecca Scott | Pyrex With Bex:  Website: PyrexWithBex.comInstagram: @pyrexwithbex— Transcript Bex Scott: [00:00:02] Hey everybody, it's Bex Scott and welcome to the Pyrex With Bex podcast, where, you guessed it, I talk about vintage Pyrex, but also all things vintage housewares. I'll take you on my latest thrifting adventures, talk about reselling, chat with other enthusiasts about their collections, and learn about a bunch of really awesome items from the past. Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you love listening to podcasts so you don't miss a beat.   Bex Scott: [00:00:31] Hey everybody, this is Bex Scott and you are listening to the Pyrex With Bex podcast. On today's episode, I wanted to talk to you guys about my adventure at the Goodwill bins. And for many resellers I know in the States, the bins are a common thing, they've been around for a while. And in Canada, at least where I live, the closest city to me is Calgary, and Calgary got the Goodwill bins in April of 2023, and I had never been to them. It's always been something that I wanted to do, but, to be honest, I've heard some stories about how savage it is and seen some videos, so I've been putting it off. It's also an hour away from me, so being able to just go and have somebody watch the kids isn't as easy as it used to be. So I finally decided to go. I went on a Sunday and it was a Sunday during the Calgary Stampede, so I'm pretty sure that helped. A lot of people were out at the Stampede. If you don't know what the Calgary Stampede is, it's like a big Western fair that happens every year.   Bex Scott: [00:01:48] It was also very hot that day, so there were a few things working in my favor. But I decided to go. And I want to give you guys a little bit of a background about what the bins are first. So the Goodwill bins are where all of the items, the clothing, everything that Goodwill sells, it doesn't sell in the retail stores so they bring it to their big warehouse and they put it in these big blue bins, and you have to go and you sort through everything in hopes of finding some treasure, which makes it really fun. So where I went in Calgary, you pay by the pound and it was $1.45 per pound of items. And it's very great if you're going for clothing. Clothing is relatively light. You can stuff a whole bag full of clothes and have it be super cheap, but if you're going for hard goods, it can get a little more expensive faster than it would with clothes. So most of it is the bins full of just the random stuff that didn't sell. And then there's the other part of the store that is furniture like lamps, large decor, and that's all priced individually. So that isn't by the pound. You have to just pick it up and pay what they've labelled it as.   Bex Scott: [00:03:19] So I pulled up to the Goodwill bins. I was honestly very nervous. I wanted to bring somebody to go with me, but didn't have anybody that was available. So I'm a very introverted, shy person. I was hoping that I wouldn't have to get my elbows out or get into a confrontation with somebody over something amazing. Luckily, I didn't have to. So you walk in and you see just rows and rows of these huge blue bins, and I walked up to a few of them. It's mostly clothes on one side. I was looking through some things, and I saw this group of people at the back, and I honestly must have looked like I'd walked into the strangest situation I've ever seen because I stopped and I was staring at all these people that were just standing around in a rectangle. No idea what they were doing. And then I realized they were waiting for the next bin to roll in. So there's these yellow rectangles on the floor, and you line up at the designated yellow location marks. You're shoulder to shoulder with these people, and they roll the bin in between you and the person who rolls it out, they say you have to wait until - I think there's three bins to a row - you have to wait till all three bins are there. You have to have your hands above the bin. You can't touch anything in it. And once the last bin is rolled into your row, they say you can go and everybody just goes nuts. They dive in, clothes are flying everywhere, like you're hitting people's elbows. You're just hoping to find something that's in this bin.   Bex Scott: [00:05:03] And one of the suggestions on their website is that you wear gloves. I thought about this before I went, but then I forgot to bring them. But I 100% understand why you need to wear gloves. Because the stuff in there is not clean. It's dusty, it's dirty, and you can feel it after when you leave. Your hands are grimy, but everything can be washed, totally fine. But there's people in there that are wearing gloves, sorting through things. It's a great idea. So if you're going to go to the bins, make sure you bring your gloves. So next thing, you can use a shopping cart, but you can't have your shopping cart by the bins in the aisles at all. So everybody leaves their shopping carts on the side walls. They're just lined up in rows and rows and rows, and a lot of them have people waiting by them so that things aren't taken out of the carts. There's a rule that if it's in a cart, somebody claimed it. So a lot of people push their carts to the side and they pull from the bins, and then they go dump it in their cart and they go back. They have these little wheelie baskets that you can bring. So that's what I tried to do. I originally went in without a basket and then my hands were all full. I realized that's why you need a shopping cart. So you just keep going until you're done. And at the end, you go up and they have this massive scale on the floor.   Bex Scott: [00:06:28] You either roll your little cart up to the scale and they weigh it for you, or you dump everything into this shopping cart that is on the scale as well. So I ended up getting, I think it was $15 of things. And for $15, I got a full set of World War Two DVDs. What else did I get? Two Cabbage Patch Kids, vintage ones. My kids were not happy about those because they terrify them. I got a little dress for my daughter. I got a Roots hoodie, brand new. What else? What else? Oh, I got a huge pile of vintage fabric. Now I'm blanking on what I got. Oh, a box set of Playmobile. There was one tiny little piece missing, but that was a great find. And there were a few other things I got. So most of it was for my kids or my family. Not a lot of stuff that I could resell there, but there were a ton of dishes like pots and pans, clear Pyrex. If you need housewares like that, stuff for your kitchen, it is definitely the place to go. Oh yeah, I got a pot for camping. That was another one that was pretty heavy, so that bumped my price up quite a bit. Clothing there, there's a lot of like underwear in there that you have to sort through. A lot of the clothes are not in the greatest shape, but if you're looking for something really cheap and affordable for your family, great place to go for that.   Bex Scott: [00:08:05] Handbags, tons of handbags and backpacks, if you have the time to sort through them there's definitely some stuff that you could get in there to resell or even just to use for yourself. Toys for kids. This was the most exciting part for me. I think that they had some really great toys for kids. Some of the parts may be missing, but once again, if you dig through you can find some great toys, either to resell or for your kids to play with. And then the home decor. I was really surprised at the amount of picture frames and posters and paintings that they had, so that was a really great deal. And then just little decor pieces. And I think maybe because I went on a Sunday, they didn't have as much there as they would during the week. So my next trip would be definitely to go during the week, probably when it is more busy, unfortunately, and see the difference between a weekend thrift and a weekday thrift.   Bex Scott: [00:09:10] So one of the most shocking parts of the bins for me was the age range that was there. I'm 35 and I felt ancient. I swear I walked into, it looked like a high school dance. Like these kids, it was all guys, they were probably like 13 or 14 years old. I felt kind of like I was trying to hang out with my son's group of friends. It looked like they were professionals. They stood on that line, they rotated kind of through the bins like robots, all in a little, a gaggle of 14-year-old boys, and they would stand on the yellow lines, waiting all on their phones, heads d
Dariya from the Thrifty Fox Shop
2024/11/22
Bex Scott welcomes guest Dariya from The Thrifty Fox Shop to talk about her love of Pyrex and how many vintage collections she maintains. Bex met Dariya on Instagram and credits her with getting Bex onto Whatnot. They talk extensively about Pyrex, from their favorite pieces to their greatest finds, but as Dariya has an enthusiasm for a great variety of vintage items, there’s more than Pyrex to explore in this episode.   Dariya, like many collectors, got into vintage collecting via her mom. She truly leaned into Pyrex around age sixteen and hasn’t stopped since. Pyrex and thrifting for vintage items is a family affair for Dariya too, as both her mom and sister are as avid about collecting as she is. She shares some of her most memorable Pyrex finds with Bex and they discuss their most and least loved patterns as well as which Pyrex dish both their husbands manage to explode during use. Beyond Pyrex, Dariya introduces Bex to her love of crewel embroidery, vintage mushrooms, glass animals, lucite flowers, vintage linens, brass, and many more of her very eclectic collections. Dariya’s philosophy is to collect what makes you happy and decorate the same way, so tune in to find out just what pieces bring her the most joy in her home.  Resources discussed in this episode: WhatnotPink Butterprint PyrexStarburst PyrexAmethyst Viking swung vaseZodiac 475 casserole dishOld Orchard PyrexCatherine Holm turquoise bowlStrawberry Hill pottery mouseWabasso Flower Power floral sheets“Stranger Things” rainbow sheets@ThriftersDelight on InstagramFika Coffee House in Camrose, Alberta— Contact Dariya | The Thrifty Fox Shop Instagram: @TheThriftyFoxShopPoshmark: @dariyasimsEtsy: The Thrifty Fox ShopContact Rebecca Scott | Pyrex With Bex:  Website: PyrexWithBex.comInstagram: @pyrexwithbex— Transcript Bex Scott: [00:00:02] Hey everybody, it's Bex Scott and welcome to the Pyrex with Bex podcast where, you guessed it, I talk about vintage Pyrex, but also all things vintage housewares. I'll take you on my latest thrifting adventures, talk about reselling, chat with other enthusiasts about their collections, and learn about a bunch of really awesome items from the past. Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you love listening to podcasts so you don't miss a beat. Hey everybody, this is Bex Scott and you are listening to the Pyrex with Bex podcast. And on today's episode, I have my friend and fellow vintage reseller Dariya from the Thrifty Fox Shop. Welcome, Dariya.   Dariya: [00:00:43] Hello.   Bex Scott: [00:00:44] How's it going?   Dariya: [00:00:45] Oh, good.   Bex Scott: [00:00:47] Nice. I see you have your awesome Halloween display behind you.   Dariya: [00:00:51] I do. We couldn't wait to start decorating for October, so we started in mid-September for decorating Halloween. Yeah.   Bex Scott: [00:00:59] That's how my family is but with Christmas.   Dariya: [00:01:01] Oh, fair.   Bex Scott: [00:01:02] My mom starts decorating the day after Halloween for Christmas, so I've kind of--   Dariya: [00:01:05] -- oh, wow--   Bex Scott: [00:01:06] -- got that Christmas bug from her.   Dariya: [00:01:08] Yeah. That makes sense.   Bex Scott: [00:01:10] Mhm. So I wanted to start off kind of with how we met. So we met on Instagram. I was following you for a while. And then I came across your Instagram story about your Whatnot show. And it was a Christmas show which is one of my favorite things obviously. And I watched your show got some amazing things from you and you helped me get into the Whatnot selling, which I'm very grateful for that.   Dariya: [00:01:37] I actually didn't know that.   Bex Scott: [00:01:38] You're the first person I found out about Whatnot through. And you made selling look so easy. And I remember a while back in some of the episodes I was talking about how I thought Whatnot was difficult because you have to be, like, on for an entire hour and talking and kind of, I'm a very severe introvert, so doing Whatnot is kind of stress-inducing. But I've loved it so far.   Dariya: [00:02:05] Yeah, once you get into it, then you find yourself more comfortable and stuff. Yeah, because I'm also an introvert and I never thought I'd ever do lives in my entire life. But hey, look at us go.   Bex Scott: [00:02:16] Yeah, yeah, yeah. Your one year just passed on Whatnot. And I think mine is coming up sometime soon, so.   Dariya: [00:02:23] Yeah. You'll have to do a show.   Bex Scott: [00:02:24] Yeah. For everybody listening, come find us on Whatnot. We have an awesome group of Canadian sellers. So how did your Pyrex and your vintage collecting begin?   Dariya: [00:02:35] With my mom. She's always, yeah, it's always someone in the family that gets you hooked. Yeah. My mom always loved, like, antiques and vintage. And so, you know, growing up around that. And then I kind of got my own style going, which has changed drastically over the last, like, years. When I started collecting, which was probably when I was 16, I started collecting, I've always like collected knickknacks, like ever since I was a little girl. But Pyrex was when around 16 when I started collecting all the Pyrex and I've never stopped.   Bex Scott: [00:03:09] It's good. A good collection you have going. Then for all that time, I.   Dariya: [00:03:12] Think of all the stuff I left behind at that time when all the prices were good. So many regrets.   Bex Scott: [00:03:17] Yeah, that's what a lot of collectors I've talked to say. Like, if they would have known that, they should have just grabbed things when they saw it. Yeah.   Dariya: [00:03:26] And the stuff that I started collecting nowadays and just thinking about what I could have left behind back then. Oh, man. Yeah.   Bex Scott: [00:03:35] So your mom kind of got you into it. Does your mom still collect Pyrex?   Dariya: [00:03:40] She does. Yeah, and so does my sister. So all three of us collect Pyrex and other collections we kind of share the same love for. So we're either fighting or finding each other stuff.   Bex Scott: [00:03:52] Yeah, I was going to say, when you go thrifting together, how do you decide who gets to keep what?   Dariya: [00:03:56] Basically, whoever finds it, gets it. Or else if one of us has something, then we'll, yeah, let whoever has it get the first dibs. But it's a competition sometimes, that's for sure.   Bex Scott: [00:04:09] I guess I'm lucky that way that I don't have any family competition. If anybody finds anything, they know to just give it straight to me. And I don't have to fight my mom over anything.   Dariya: [00:04:19] Well, and whenever one of us starts a new collection, we all get hooked. So then it's like there's no winning.   Bex Scott: [00:04:26] That's awesome.   Dariya: [00:04:27] Yeah.   Bex Scott: [00:04:27] I guess on the flip side, that would be really fun if you had people in your family who you could go thrifting with and kind of had the same interests as you.   Dariya: [00:04:35] Yeah, exactly. Yeah.   Bex Scott: [00:04:37] Cool. And what have been your best Pyrex finds so far?   Dariya: [00:04:42] I think my best one was the two pieces of pink Butterprint at a garage sale and, in Alberta, which you never see pink Butterprint? And it was posted online and I, like, messaged them because it was a bit of a drive and I had like two little kids, so I was like, okay, like I'd love to get these, but would you be able to hold them? Because I don't want to drive there and get there and them not being there. So they held them for me and I paid 60 bucks for two of them, which is high for a garage sale. But like, again, pink Butterprint.   Bex Scott: [00:05:13] That's good.   Dariya: [00:05:14] Yeah, yeah. So I kept one and then gave one to my sister.   Bex Scott: [00:05:18] Lucky sister.   Dariya: [00:05:20] I know. Would have been nice if there was three. And then I could have given one to my mom too, but yeah.   Bex Scott: [00:05:26] Yeah.   Dariya: [00:05:26] No, I think that was, I was trying to, like, wrack my brain and that was definitely one of my best Pyrex scores.   Bex Scott: [00:05:33] Yeah. That's really good. Especially at a garage sale. That never happens.   Dariya: [00:05:37] And I'm so curious as to how they got the pink Butterprint, because I think it was only for the States and you had to get them through coupons or something? So it's curious to know how they got all the way up to Alberta.   Bex Scott: [00:05:50] Interesting. Yeah, I think I found a set of the Butterprint. It was in a Value Village and only one of the bowls was good, but it was still, it was still a good find, right?   Dariya: [00:06:03] Yeah, yeah, I'd love to find an orange. The orange Butterprint, but...   Bex Scott: [00:06:08] Oh yeah. Yeah. I keep seeing listings through Facebook for them and I'm tempted.   Dariya: [00:06:13] But that price tag.   Bex Scott: [00:06:15] Yeah like $750, $1000.   Dariya: [00:06:18] Yeah. No. Nope.   Bex Scott: [00:06:22] Cool. And what would you say is your holy grail piece, if you, you might already have it. But if you don't have it what would it be?   Dariya: [00:06:28] I don't actually. I still need that Starburst Pyrex. I was trying to think. Starburst, I kind of have three. Starburst. What's the - Pink Stems. And then this isn't Pyrex, but I really love like, a amethyst. Amethyst, Amethyst, Amethyst I don't know, um, Vikings swung vase. So those are like my three holy grails. Yeah, yeah. But yeah. Do you have a Starburst?   Bex Scott: [00:06:54] I don't.   Dariya: [00:06:55] I know, like, they're like they seem common enough. But the price tag again is just like, hmm, yeah.   Bex Scott: [00:07:02] And you see photos of people who have like ten of them in their collection.   Dariya: [00:07:05] Just hand one over to me. Please, please. I did see a Starburst at a antique, at the Antique Mall in Edmonton.   Bex Scott: [00:07:13] Oh, yeah.   Dariya: [00:07:14] And I think it was
Salt & Pepper Shakers
2024/11/08
Bex Scott is back for a new season of Pyrex with Bex and in this first episode of the season, she’s diving into the rabbit hole of collectible salt and pepper shakers. Her own collection started when she found lots of them in an online estate sale and discovered that her favorites are the kitschy anthropomorphic shakers. Why were so many made? When were they popular and why? Which ones are most valuable now? Bex reveals what she learned in this episode.  Salt and pepper shakers were easy to collect because of their size, small, and they were also very affordable. They date back to around 1858 though there is some dispute over the exact person who created them. Strangely, the kitschy eye-catching salt and pepper shakers were one of the few things whose sales didn’t dip during the Great Depression. Because they were small and cheap, they were easy to continue producing and still affordable to collect or gift. Bex explores how salt and pepper shaker designs reflected the time periods they were created in, the themes that became most popular, the rarest and most valuable salt and pepper shakers to look for now, and a family who collected 80,000 sets and started a museum just to house them. You don’t want to miss this episode. It will make you look twice at salt and pepper shakers when you come across them. Resources discussed in this episode: Lefton Bluebirds salt and pepper shakersExtra long dachshund salt and pepper shakersPink poodle chef salt and pepper shakersHolt Howard pixieware salt and pepper shakers“Would You Like Some Salt and Pepper? How About 80,000 Shakers’ Worth?” by Derek Workman, Smithsonian Magazine, January 23, 2012— Contact Rebecca Scott | Pyrex With Bex:  Website: PyrexWithBex.comInstagram: @pyrexwithbex— Transcript Bex Scott: [00:00:02] Hey everybody, it's Bex Scott and welcome to the Pyrex with Bex podcast, where, you guessed it, I talk about vintage Pyrex, but also all things vintage housewares. I'll take you on my latest thrifting adventures, talk about reselling, chat with other enthusiasts about their collections, and learn about a bunch of really awesome items from the past. Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you love listening to podcasts so you don't miss a beat. Hey, everybody, this is Bex Scott and you are listening to the Pyrex with Bex podcast. And on today's episode it's salt and pepper time. We are talking all about salt and pepper shakers. And for me, this is a super fun topic because I have been collecting salt and pepper shakers on and off for the last couple of years. I don't have a huge collection, but they are one of the easiest things I've found to collect and to unfortunately amass in large quantities.   Bex Scott: [00:01:04] So my salt and pepper shaker collection started back when I found a bunch of huge lots of them in an online estate sale, and I didn't actually know how many I was buying until I picked them up. And I probably had three moving boxes full of them, and unpacking them and cataloging them and photographing them was a massive endeavor. But one of the most fun things you can do as a collector, as you guys probably know, is unboxing and seeing what's inside, what you've bought from a sale or an online auction, and finding the little nuggets of maybe a really collectible item or something that you really love.   Bex Scott: [00:01:53] So most of these salt and pepper shakers that I did buy, I ended up selling online on Facebook Marketplace or on Poshmark and some of them even on Whatnot now. And I've had a few friends on Whatnot who have had full on salt and pepper shaker sales, and it's so fun to watch them go through each of the shakers and to see just how fun they were. My favorite ones, hands down, are the kitschy salt and pepper shakers, and my great grandma had an absolute love of Lefton Bluebird, so I've been lucky enough to inherit some of her bluebirds. I have the salt and pepper shakers. I also have some of the more kitschy anthropomorphic ones. I have little kittens that are sitting on balls of yarn. I have some skunks that are sitting on logs and they're just very fun, cute, and you can store a lot of them in a small place. So this led me down a hole of looking into salt and pepper shakers, their appeal, their history. And I actually learned quite a bit about them.   Bex Scott: [00:03:07] So. Salt and pepper shakers were easy for people to collect because of their size, and they were so affordable and they were just really easy to come across as well. They held on to them or passed them down. And you could, before, get a figural set of a dog, a cat, a bird for 5 to $7. Now the prices have gone up a little bit because they are in higher demand. People are reselling them and there are more that are collectible, some more than others. Salt and pepper shakers, they go back to about 1858 and they were created, some believe, by a man named John Mason who also created the Mason jar. So some people kind of refute this and are questioning whether that's actually true. But this is what I've found so far in my research. And before the salt and pepper shaker came to be, people used a bowl of salt called a salt cellar. And I've come across a lot of salt cellars in my collecting days, and a lot of the really cute ones are the little hens on the nest. I didn't actually know the purpose of a salt cellar. I knew that it was called that and you scooped the salt up with a spoon. People often added rice to it to keep the moisture at bay. And then it wasn't until 1911, when the brand Morton Salt Company introduced magnesium carbonate into salt that helped it to not clump, which is why people don't often put rice into their salt shakers now.   Bex Scott: [00:05:02] So with these cute little kitschy and fun sets on home and restaurant tables, there was a high demand for the aesthetically appealing styles, and it was important for homemakers to have these on their table to show them off and to just have fun collecting them. So many people purchased them on road trips back in the day. One of the most popular types of salt and pepper shakers was the souvenir shaker that you got on your road trip that may have said the location it was from and where you got it. Now the Great Depression came along and there was no dip in salt shaker sales because it was one of the cheapest items in the kitchen. And during the 1930s and into the 1940s, the salt shakers went from glass and tin containers to the ceramic or plastic figurines. Most were from occupied Japan after a halt in production during the war. And the kitschier the better. So salt and pepper shakers became more cute, more eye-catching, and the number of salt and pepper shakers sold at local five and dimes and the fancier stores was just increasing. So some of the fun ones that you could find were the anthropomorphic fruit, fish, dogs. There's a set called the Extra Long Daschund that is really cute if you want to look up these funny little skinny wiener dog salt and pepper shakers.   Bex Scott: [00:06:45] So by the 1970s, these cute figural shakers had completely gone out of style, out of production, and they were replaced by what we now have, which is a more standard boring cylindrical-style salt and pepper shaker. Don't get me wrong, there's some beautiful salt and pepper shakers out there now still, but it's just not the same anymore. And some of the ones that they were replaced by that people still collect are the Tupperware salt and pepper shakers, which were really popular during that time and not so much the conversation starters of all the cute, anthropomorphic, kitschy ones that you used to be able to find. So by the 1990s, people started to realize that the salt and pepper shakers were worth something because of the demand that collectors had made for them. And some of the most popular ones are cute little ones hanging from trees that have little baskets. I just sold a set. It was an adorable little dog that had two hanging baskets on the left and the right that you could remove, and those were the salt and pepper shakers. And the baskets were filled with flowers. Lots of kissing and hugging shakers. I have two little bears that when you put them together, their arms wrap around each other. Lots of Christmas ones. And some of the most sought after are from Lefton, Napco, Holt Howard.   Bex Scott: [00:08:18] So a lot of this information that I found from my friend Worthpoint, and in this article that I was reading they went through the most collectible shakers from Lefton, Napco and Holt Howard, which I thought was super interesting because as a collector, I'm always wondering which ones I should be on the lookout for. So if you want to start the hunt, Lefton's most collectible are Bluebirds, Christmas angels, Miss Dainty, which is the girl with the red and white hat, Mr.Tootles the Maltese dog, Miss Priss the Blue Kitten, Thumbelina, The Green Fairy, Kissing Santa and Mrs. Claus, Christmas birds which are green, the Puppy Pal dogs wearing blue hats, and pink poodle chef, which in brackets they say is beyond expensive. I've actually never seen the pink poodle chef.   Bex Scott: [00:09:21] Napco, you have number one, Miss Cutie Pie, two anthropomorphic fruit people, so that would be the artists, musicians, kissing Valentine birds, the bowler and hard hats, devils, flower girls, and long neck animals. And then Holt Howard, you have the Nodder Rock and Roll on springs, merry mice,they are pink and mischievous, Holly Poinsettia girls, winking Santa, Daisydorables, rooster, and pixieware are the most desirable of all the Holt Howard shakers I've seen. Not in person, but on a lot of my favorite collectors Instagrams and some on Facebook Marketplace. The pixieware salt and pepper shakers. They are so cute! Next up we have Enesco. Number one is the Sweet Shop. It says very pricey and rare. Anything anthropomorphic, fruits, vegetables, forks and spoons. I have had some forks and spoons.
"Whatnot" with Kim, the Red Rooster
2024/04/12
Bex Scott welcomes guest Kim, owner of The Red Rooster Shoppe on Instagram and Whatnot, to the show to discuss everything to do with Whatnot. Kim, who has accumulated quite a following on Whatnot and is practiced at live shows, shares tips and advice on how to make Whatnot both fun and valuable. She also talks about all the vintage delights she collects and the many thrift stores she visits in Ontario.  Whatnot, according to Kim, is a social selling platform that combines entertainment and thrifting. It’s a buyers and seller social marketplace where live auction shows are commonplace. Kim and Bex talk about exactly why Whatnot has become so valuable to their vintage resale endeavours, not just as a sales platform but as a place to make like-minded friendships and support circles. Kim dishes about her childhood growing up with collector and reseller parents, her time as an auctioneer, the extensive vintage collection she has amassed, and exactly how to get started on Whatnot and in vintage collecting in general. The conversation is fun, full of laughter and tips, and a great way to get a feel for Whatnot as a platform. Resources discussed in this episode: WhatnotValue VillageReStore: Habitat for HumanityOwl Always Love VintageBlue Mountain Pottery Goebel Friar TucksHibid.comMaxsold— Contact Kim | The Red Rooster Shoppe: Instagram: The Red Rooster ShoppeRed Rooster Shoppe at Twindmills Antique MarketLinktr.eeContact Rebecca Scott | Pyrex With Bex:  Website: PyrexWithBex.comInstagram: @pyrexwithbexContact Bex on her website— Transcript Bex Scott: [00:00:02] Hey everybody, it's Bex Scott and welcome to the Pyrex with Bex podcast where, you guessed it, I talk about vintage Pyrex, but also all things vintage housewares. I'll take you on my latest thrifting adventures, talk about reselling, chat with other enthusiasts about their collections, and learn about a bunch of really awesome items from the past. Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you love listening to podcasts so you don't miss a beat. Hey, everybody, this is Bex Scott and you are listening to the Pyrex with Bex podcast. On today's episode, I'm going to be chatting with my reseller friend Kim, also known as the Red Rooster, all about Whatnot, what we love about the app, and how to get started on it as a new reseller.   Bex Scott: [00:00:49] Thanks for tuning into another episode of the Pyrex with Bex podcast. Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to Kim from the Red Rooster Shoppe. Welcome, Kim.   Kim: [00:01:00] Hello. How are you?   Bex Scott: [00:01:02] Good, thanks. How are you?   Kim: [00:01:03] I'm good. I'm good, very good.   Bex Scott: [00:01:06] So I met Kim through a fun little platform called Whatnot, and we'll get into Whatnot a bit later. But I wanted to start off with you telling us a little bit about you.   Kim: [00:01:17] So my name's Kim. I live in Hastings, Ontario, Canada, or just outside of Hastings, technically. I'm a full time dementia caregiver, but I used to be an auctioneer and my parents were big collectors and resellers. So when I was a kid, that's all we did as vacations was go to flea markets and meets, and weekends were spent in some gym, in some school somewhere in Ontario selling things. So it's just kind of what I'm used to, and I enjoy doing it now as kind of like a fun activity.   Bex Scott: [00:01:56] That is very cool. I didn't know that about you. Did you love doing that as a kid when you were growing up? Was that something that you really enjoyed doing or what were your feelings around that?   Kim: [00:02:07] I was an only child. I am an only child. So I don't think I knew anything different. Right? Just this was my normal. It was a little boring sometimes. But then mum would get me making crafts in the background, which of course we'd sell. You know, we had these pencils you could rub between your hands and they were your frustration releasers and they would go all funny hair. So I would sit there and--.   Bex Scott: [00:02:31] -- oh I remember those.   Kim: [00:02:32] Yeah, yeah, I forget what they were called, but, or the anger busters, I think we used to put labels on them sometimes is that. The only problem with them was because I used to take them to school with me, they were my fidget toy, but the eraser gets covered up by the hair and it's really hard to correct your mistakes. So you can't make any mistakes when you have that as your pencil. Yeah, but it was so normal that in grade seven I did speech arts, which I don't know if you did, but where everybody has to write a speech and then everybody goes in front of the classroom. It's probably too anxiety driven to be done anymore for kids.   Bex Scott: [00:03:12] Yeah. That was my worst. Fear.   Kim: [00:03:14] Yeah, it's it probably ended in like the late 80s, early 90s. But in the 70s and 80s, it was the thing you, every single kid had to do it. And I was good at it. I was, I was good. I could memorize and I could perform a little bit, but then I would get up on stage, and usually I would do a five minute speech in 2.5 minutes, because I would get really nervous and I would just go through it really, really fast, which took away from points. So I never went to like regionals or anything. Anyways, in grade seven, I wrote a speech. The first line of it is, have you ever gone to Pennsylvania for a screw? And it was so normal to me and I, and I was, I was like 13. I had no idea what a screw like that, what the connotation of that was until I was up on stage in front of the entire school. And the moment it came out of my mouth, like a millisecond later, I'm like, oh, I know what I just said, but I have to carry on. I have to carry on. But we would go like, we went every year to this swap meet for classic cars because my dad, who never finished building it, but he was building a 1928 model A coupe, which is kind of like a truck.   Bex Scott: [00:04:32] Very cool.   Kim: [00:04:33] But he never finished it because he wanted it to be 100% original, which meant every single part down to screws. Which is why we would go all the way to Pennsylvania, because that's every October at Hershey, Pennsylvania there's a meet for classic cars, antique car enthusiasts. And it's just, it's mud. It's an entire field of mud that you trudge through because it always rains, it always rains and there's so many people and everyone's pulling their wagon with their car parts in it, and I would have to trudge along in the mud holding on to a precious screw or something. But I just thought it was normal. So I wrote, in grade seven I asked the entire school if they'd ever gone to Pennsylvania for a screw.   Bex Scott: [00:05:25] I love it. That's very cute.   Kim: [00:05:27] It's a little embarrassing now.   Bex Scott: [00:05:30] Oh, so you had the childhood of flea markets and auctions and being an auctioneer. So how did the reselling side of what you do now begin?   Kim: [00:05:41] I had to close my business as an auctioneer. Auctioneering was actually like the last career I had before I got sick. I have what's called central sensitization syndrome. And so it's like fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue put together into one. So I was pretty much laid up in bed for a few years. And then the pandemic hit. And then my mother started to have the signs of moderate dementia. And so it got to the point where I had to move her in with me. So we moved here to near Hastings on the Trent River. And it's beautiful here and there's lots of activities for her to do. But I was looking for another outlet and mom and I always loved thrifting. It was our thing to do was to go thrifting. And I love that treasure hunt. But then you get the stuff home and it's like, oh, I don't really need this. And I had a huge, I had when I was sick and laid up at home, I had started trying to, like, ADHD really, because I never really completed anything, but I would get into a whole bunch of different crafts. So I had a whole like room full of craft supplies, and I was on Instagram and it wasn't even related to reselling, the woman that I was following.   Kim: [00:07:06] But she posted that her son and daughter-in-law were doing some, you know, Funko Pop sale on Whatnot. And I went, what's Whatnot? Like, I need to Google this. So I didn't use the referral code or anything, so I didn't get my little your bonus of using a referral code from a seller or another Whatnot or... But I looked into it and I was like, this sounds cool. This is fun. I think I want to do this. So first it was just to kind of get rid of my craft section, and then it was like, nah, you know what? I like these vintage decor people. The people who do vintage decor are fun. And I love these sellers and I love that community. So that's where I want to start, I started buying from there and then I was like, you know what? I think I want to, I want to sell in this category too. And next thing you know, I've got an entire basement full of stuff.   Bex Scott: [00:08:04] I understand that fully. Yeah, that's what my basement looks like as well.   Kim: [00:08:09] It's bad. It's really bad. But it's all inventory as far as I'm concerned. It's all inventory. So it's just a matter of when I manage to get time to sell it.   Bex Scott: [00:08:22] That's what I say every time I bring a new box home. Like this will be sold one day and it's going to make me a lot of money. So that's why I bought it. And then it's the slippery slope of the next box is the same thing.   Kim: [00:08:34] Yes. My husband just, he just shakes his head because he likes everything new, so he doesn't understand it. But he likes me being thrifty. He likes that. He likes that I can always find a way to save money somewhere. I will figure out a way.   Bex Scott: [00:08:52] That's perfect.   Kim: [00:08:52] He doesn't think that way. So he's always like, oh, good, like we don't have to buy a brand new fridge. We can go to the restore and get a fridge tha
Thrift Store Addict
2024/03/29
In today’s episode, Bex Scott uses her confessed addiction to thrifting to share the top six items that she always seeks out at thrift stores. Bex lives in Canada so the availability of items, and store names, may vary from country to country, but the general categories of vintage items Bex looks for are a great guide. She walks us through what to look for, why, and how to value an item if you do find one.  Bex’s list of items she frequents Value Village, Goodwill, and Salvation Army to find wouldn’t, of course, be complete without Pyrex occupying the number one spot. She tells stories of lining up before the store would open to be one of the first inside and she divulges some of the greatest Pyrex finds she’s experienced. Her six top sought-after items after Pyrex are brass, Blue Mountain pottery, cross stitch and crewel patterns, vintage linens, and kids' books. Why does she search for these specific items? Bex tells all in this episode: the why, their collectible value, and some of the pieces and brands to be on the lookout for. Tune in and then share your own top ten list with Bex on Instagram @PyrexWithBex. Resources discussed in this episode: JAJ Cherry Blossom PyrexWhatnotBlue Mountain Pottery blue glaze bowlBrass lounging frogs“Blue Mountain Pottery Angelfish - A Star is Reborn” by C. Biernacki & T. Milks for Antique67.comCrewel curtain c 1696, English leaf detail— Contact Rebecca Scott | Pyrex With Bex:  Website: PyrexWithBex.comInstagram: @pyrexwithbex— Transcript Bex Scott: [00:00:02] Hey everybody, it's Bex Scott and welcome to the Pyrex with Bex podcast where, you guessed it, I talk about vintage Pyrex, but also all things vintage housewares. I'll take you on my latest thrifting adventures, talk about reselling, chat with other enthusiasts about their collections, and learn about a bunch of really awesome items from the past. Subscribe now on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you love listening to podcasts so you don't miss a beat.   Bex Scott: [00:00:30] Hey, everybody, this is Bex Scott and you are listening to the Pyrex with Bex podcast. Today. I wanted to go through the top six items that I always pick up at the thrift store if the price is right. That is the most important part of this. If the price is right for you to resell, if you're a reseller, or if it's right to you as a collector. So for those of you who know me, I am addicted to thrifting. And I realized that I had an actual addiction this year when I took all of January off of thrifting and buying anything vintage, and it was so difficult for me, I had no idea it would be that hard. But it really brought to light the fact that I love going to Value Village. I love going to Goodwill. And it is a huge part of my life. It's become a hobby, something that I like to do when I'm feeling stressed, and it's really helped me to connect with an amazing group of people on Instagram and whatnot, and it's just something that's really fun to do.   Bex Scott: [00:01:41] So when I go to the thrift store, I usually have a few things in mind that I'm always on the lookout for. And for those of you who are new to thrifting or new to reselling, I thought I would bring up these six things so that maybe you could start taking a look when you go to Value Village, Goodwill, Salvation Army. And I'm located in Canada so what I'm finding might be a bit different than what you're finding in the States or different parts of the world, and I would love to know what your top ten items are as well. So feel free to find me on Instagram @PyrexWithBex to let me know your opinion of what I'm going to go through in this podcast episode, and what you would add or maybe take out from what I'm going to mention, because price has a huge impact on what you pick up when you go out thrifting. If you're a collector, that price may have a lot higher of a ceiling, because you'll pay a lot more to have that piece in your collection. I know I'm like that with Pyrex. If there's a piece that I absolutely need to have and I find it at the thrift store and it is a bit higher than I would usually pay, especially if I'm going to be reselling it. I don't hesitate to invest that money in it. But if I'm looking to make some profit off of it, then I'm looking for a lot lower of a cost.   Bex Scott: [00:03:15] So let's get into it. The first item that I have on my list is obviously Pyrex. I would be feeling pretty weird if I didn't have Pyrex on this list. Unfortunately, it's becoming harder and harder to find good Pyrex in the thrift stores, and I'm sure all of you know this. It's the same across the board with all of the collectors that I talk to, and those of you who have been collecting for quite a long time, not myself, you have mentioned to me how easy or how much easier it used to be, even 5 or 6 years ago, to find good pieces at the thrift store. So before we had our daughter, I would wake up early a couple of times a week to go to Value Village and Goodwill. Those are the ones in the city that I lived in that I like to hit up, and I would line up before it opened, so I'd be there super early. It was cold a lot of the time. I was still going in the winter. And this was the only way that I could find good Pyrex at the thrift stores, and it was definitely worth it for me. It was pretty funny because the same people lined up every single morning, there were about 15 or 20 of us, and I always try to be maybe 4th or 5th in the line. Any earlier than that and I was not awake enough to be out there. But you would start to recognize the people who were in line and start chatting with them, and you'd get to know them. And there was always a teacup lady. She was always ahead of me. There was always a video game and book guy. And then you had your handful of what I like to call vintage generalists like myself. And those ones were my main competition. You'd see the doors open and everybody would pile in all at the same time, and then kind of disperse into the store. And if you were fast enough, you could grab a cart. But sometimes there wasn't enough time because people were in it to win it, and you'd all rush towards the same shelf and kind of scan the shelves that you pass to see if there's anything good on your way back, and you would hope that you got there first. And some of the best finds that I've had at Value Village and the Salvation Army have been an almost full set of the Friendship Cinderella bowls. The 441 was dishwasher damaged, but it was, the rest of it was in amazing condition. I found a charcoal Snowflake divided dish, a Friendship divided dish, a full primary set. I found a few full primary sets at the thrift store. And a bunch of other just random, little less desirable pieces here and there.   Bex Scott: [00:06:01] Something that I see all the time is the JAJ Cherry Blossom, and those ones I always leave behind. When I first started reselling, I would pick them up, but they are so common now that they've kind of lost their appeal to me. Those are the ones that I would buy if I needed something to cook in, that I wasn't going to put into my collection or my display, or if I wanted to gift somebody something. I've heard that people, they make their friends and their family casseroles, and they gift them the dish that it comes in and I think that's a really great idea to do with some of these less desirable, more commonly found casserole and pieces of dishware.   Bex Scott: [00:06:46] Next up is brass, and I only pick up brass if the price is right. And depending on what it is, that price is usually $7 or under for me. And my favorite have always been the animals, especially deer. Our baby's nursery was full of deer. I even put some brass deer in there. And I know I always mention this on my podcast, but my husband despises brass and I try not to put it around the house. I love it at Christmas. I've purchased huge brass deer for Christmas decorations, and I've also found large seagull wall hangings, a massive brass easel, a set of lounging frogs. The frogs were probably top of my list for my favorite. I like to call them the sexy frogs because they're both lying on their side with their arms under their head, lounging like they're striking a pose on a beach. And I've been pretty lucky as well with brass at online auctions. Just this past week, I won a box of 11 pieces for $17, which I'm pretty excited about because the Whatnot Canadian group of resellers that I'm a part of, we're thinking of having a brass, glass and wood seller train coming up, and I'm hoping to join that one to sell a bunch of brass and glass goodies. So most antique brass items are solid brass, and something that I've learned, a way of identifying solid brass pieces is by using a magnet. And if you feel a pull when you put the magnet up to it, then the item is brass plated and not solid brass. And a lot of the vintage or antique brass pieces, they don't have the display stamps or maker's marks to depict the place and year of manufacturing, so that's not as common. So usually if they do, you'll know that they are more modern pieces and not the antique or vintage brass. So any brass that I pick up now I don't usually hold onto. It's listed for sale on Marketplace or in one of my Whatnot shows. So if you're a reseller or looking to get into reselling, brass is definitely a no-brainer if you're able to find it for a decent price. So always keep your eye on that price tag.   Bex Scott: [00:09:08] Next up we have the Canadian favorite Blue Mountain pottery. So I have sold a large amount of Blue Mountain pottery over the years, especially animals; elephants, deer, dogs, and then other common objects like vases, ashtrays, candy dishes. And it's actually a pretty hot seller with Americans right now. A lot of my fellow Whatnot sellers, they sell Blue Mountain pottery online in their auctions and their live shows, and it does really well. So word to the wise, though, when you find it

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